Koeman reflects on the decision to sell Luis Suarez from Barcelona

Barcelona’s decision to sell Suarez has come back to haunt them after the striker’s stunning start for rivals Atletico Madrid.

Ronald Koeman insists he has no regrets over Luis Suarez’s departure, revealing the decision to sell the striker was taken by those above him.

The Dutchman made several changes upon taking charge of Camp Nou last summer. One of the most notable ones was his decision to bid farewell to Suarez, who is Barcelona’s third-highest goalscorer of all-time on 195 goals.

Selling a proven talent, who had often supplied the goods during his six-year stay, flared up quite the reaction. Lionel Messi, for one, has publically ridiculed the sale along with a host of other star names.

In similar fashion to David Villa’s own departure for Atletico in 2013, however, Suarez could mark his debut campaign in Madrid by steering Diego Simeone’s men to La Liga glory.

The 33-year-old has lost none of his scoring prowess, having already bagged eight goals in only 11 league games. His contributions have made a telling impact as Atletico lead La Liga. The Rojiblancos are also 10 points ahead of sixth-place Barcelona, with a game in hand.

“No. I have always highlighted his qualities,” said Koeman as quoted by Marca.

“The decision was made by him and by the club. I always wish the best for everyone.

“He worked with me to have minutes, but his destiny ended up different. You can’t compare our team with Atletico. I think there are other ways to win games. Sometimes, because of the way they play, it is enough to score one goal to win the games. It’s different for us.”

Koeman also gave an update on Messi ahead of Barcelona’s trip to Huesca on Sunday.