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sports Diasabra 8 Mei 2021

Suárez to face old friend Messi with title in the balance

BARCELONA, Spain season.
(AP) — Luis Suárez and
Lionel Messi often spent "We were teammates. Today
time hanging out togeth- we are rivals. But we will al-
er at their neighboring ways be friends, Luis Suárez,"
homes on the Mediterra- Barcelona tweeted along with
nean coast when taking a a photo of Suárez embrac-
break from scoring goals ing Messi and other former
for Barcelona. teammates.

It will be less relaxing on Sat- Since his move to Spain's
urday when Suárez returns capital, the Uruguay striker
to Camp Nou with Atlético has become Atlético's top
Madrid, aiming to inflict weapon. He leads the team
a major blow on his for- with 19 goals in the league.
mer team's title hopes in the
Spanish league. "He has met all the expec-
tations we placed on him,"
Facing mounting debts and Simeone said.
desperate to reduce its pay-
roll, Barcelona sold the Simeone will have to choose
34-year-old Suárez to Atlé- from Carrasco, Marcos Llor-
tico on the cheap at the start ente, Ángel Correa and João
of the season. Félix to accompany Suárez
in attack, giving Barcelona
The deal, which could reach coach Ronald Koeman lots to
6 million euros ($7 million), worry about.
proved to be a steal for Atlé-
tico. While not as mobile as "It will be strange for
he once was, Suárez's world- (Suárez), but also for my
class finishing touch gave players. But we are profes-
Atlético coach Diego Sime- sionals and each one of them
one the scorer he had failed will give it their all," said Ko-
to find since Antoine Griez- eman, who is suspended for
mann swapped clubs for Bar- the match. "We will have to
celona. focus on him, as well as the
Atlético plays third-place four points behind. League in 2015. rest of his team that plays
Suárez missed the first meet- Barcelona a day before sec- behind him. We must think
ing of the teams in Novem- ond-place Real Madrid hosts Suárez departed Barcelona Messi complained publicly about how we must pressure
ber due to the coronavirus. fourth-place Sevilla on a as its third highest scorer after Barcelona got rid of them to disrupt their attack."
Yannick Carrasco's goal — weekend that promises to with 198 goals, behind César Suárez, who had wanted to
and its smothering defense shake up the closest title fight Rodríguez (232) and Messi stay. Atlético also has an opposi-
— gave Atlético a 1-0 win in years. (670). He helped Barcelona tion player on its mind as
that helped to build a lead win 13 titles after arriving Barcelona took a conciliatory Messi looks to add to his
that it is still clinging to with Atlético is two points ahead in 2014 from Liverpool, in- approach on Friday toward league-leading 28 goals this
four rounds left. of both Madrid and Barce- cluding four Spanish league Suárez, who scored 21 goals season.
lona, while Sevilla is a further trophies and the Champions for Barcelona in the 2019-20

Baseball's Bobby Valentine running for mayor of hometown

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) was a three-sport high school was a lifetime .260 hitter. Japan, winning a Japan Series director in 2011, before being
— Former Major League star in the city. title in 2005 with the Chiba hired by the Red Sox.
Baseball player and man- He became manager of the Lotte Marines.
ager Bobby Valentine is He was drafted in 1968 by Texas Rangers in 1985 and He joins a race that includes
taking a swing at politics, the Los Angeles Dodgers and also skippered the New York Valentine, who owns a sports two Democrats: incumbent
announcing Friday that played in the Major Leagues Mets and Boston Red Sox in bar in Stamford, served as the David Martin and state Rep.
he's running for mayor of from 1969 to 1979, where he addition to spending time in city's health and public safety Caroline Simmons.
his Connecticut home-
town.
Valentine, 70, who currently
serves as the athletic direc-
tor at Sacred Heart Univer-
sity, posted a video on social
media and said he'll run as
an independent candidate in
Stamford.

"The greatest commodity I
have is my time and I want to
give my time and my energy
and my wherewithal back to
the city that has given me so
much over my lifetime," he
said.
Valentine, a Stamford native,