‘Why not?’ Could we see Luis Suarez in the A-League after World Cup farewell

World Cup 22: As Luis Suárez prepares for his final bow on the world’s biggest stage, long-time friend and former team-mate Bruno Fornaroli reflects on what the tournament will mean to the Uruguayan football legend and whether we could see him in the Isuzu UTE A-League.

There aren’t many – if any at all – better people to talk about Luis Suárez in Australian footballing circles than Bruno Fornaroli.

The striker duo essentially grew up together as teenagers, spending five or six years as team-mates at Uruguayan and South American heavyweights Nacional.

Both Suarez and Fornaroli played together in the youth ranks there, while also representing Uruguay at under-17 level – before going their seperate ways as the former headed overseas to join Dutch side Groningen in 2006 and the rest was history.

Almost two decades later, Suarez is one of the best players of the modern era, becoming one of the most-prolific strikers of the last decade at both club and international level.

He scored for fun with the likes of Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, helping each of those teams to silverware, while becoming Uruguay’s all-time leading goal-scorer (68) – including seven at World Cups.

Of course, not withstanding the plenty of controversy that followed him along the way.

While Fornaroli has been no goal-scoring slouch in his own right, becoming one of the Isuzu UTE A-League’s deadliest strikers throughout his tenures at Melbourne City, Perth Glory and now, Melbourne Victory – where he hopes to have similar success.

Despite their careers shooting in much different trajectories, the duo still stay in touch, so much so that Suarez publicly congratulated El Tuna after he was called up for the Socceroos in March this year.

But there may be an opportunity for the duo to link up once more before their respective careers come to an end.

Suarez has a decision to make about his playing future, departing Nacional after he helped them win the title in his homecoming this year.

This has, as a result, left the door open for an A-League Men’s side to potentially ask the question about his services as a potential mid-season signing.

So is there a chance we could see Suarez head across the Pacific, touch down in Australia and see the good friends go toe-to-toe in the A-League Men?

Fornaroli didn’t say no.

“Why not?” Fornaroli told KEEPUP about whether Suarez could come to the A-League Men’s.

“He was here before with Liverpool, he came once and he loved the country and we always talk about him, if he would want to come and play.

But it will be good to see him around in the A-League and of course, I hope he can come here and play with us (in the league.”

But before then, Suarez has some unfinished business.

El Pistolero has arrived in Qatar in what will be his fourth and final World Cup appearance with La Celeste – looking for one last hurrah, back on the stage where he has played the roles of both hero and pantomime villain for over a decade.

“I think it will be special for him,” Fornaroli said when asked about this World Cup will mean to Suarez.

“This one will be the last one and… not only people in Uruguay, also the players are crazy for the national team. It’s the first thing for them, everyone wants to be there and Luis is no different to the other ones.

He wants to win, he’s a winner and I think this will be special because it will be the last one.

It seems poetic that Suarez’ opponents are in a sense; ghosts of World Cups past – South Korea, Ghana and Portugal.

Suarez put South Korea to the sword in the Round of 16 back in 2010, scoring a double to sink the Tigers of Asia, setting up a memorable quarter-final against Ghana.

In a matter of minutes, he firmly established himself as public enemy number one in the West African country – but at the same time, sacrificing himself for the hopes of an entire nation – who brandished him a ‘hero’.

With the scores locked at 1-1 deep in extra time, Suarez blocked Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header with his hands, saving a certain winner but giving away a penalty and getting sent off in the process – with the resulting spot-kick missed by Asamoah Gyan.

Uruguay would go on and win the penalty shootout to book their place in the semi-final, which wouldn’t have happened if Suarez didn’t make the self-proclaimed “save of the tournament”.

And at the last World Cup in 2018, Suarez’ assist for long-time national-team strike partner Edinson Cavani helped La Celeste knock Portugal out in the round of 16.

It’s only fitting he’s playing these sides again. In some eyes, the villain taking on the whole ‘Justice League’ or in others, the hero facing their own Rogues Gallery.

If only Italy qualified to complete the box-set. A rematch anyone would want to sink their teeth into.

But Suarez’ Qatar adventure hasn’t gotten off to an ideal start. The 35-year-old was given the nod up-front in Uruguay’s opening group game, a goalless draw with Korea, where the legend was dragged after 63 minutes for a bit-part impact.

The performance was a far cry from the impacts he had at previous carnations and perhaps a sign of a player reaching the latter stages of his career.

Despite the off-showing, he and his Uruguayan team-mates would be hoping to turn it around for their next two group games against Portugal (Tuesday morning AEDT) and Ghana (Saturday morning AEDT).

And you would think the latter would love nothing more than sending Suarez and co home.

However, Fornaroli, who is of course Uruguayan born despite his national-team allegiances laying with Australia, said pre-tournament that he was bullish about their chances, predicting La Celeste to do “well” in Qatar and thus, give Suarez another chance at glory.

“I think… good,” Fornaroli said about their chances in Qatar.

They have a very good mix between experienced players and young talent, and at the moment, the good thing is they all play in big leagues and at a good level, and play minutes – which is so important.

“So I think they will do well.”