Monday, March 9, 2009

Emperor's wrath

Claudio Suarez announced his retirement on the weekend. It wasn't really a surprise to anyone since the 40-year-old defender, uh ... was 40 YEARS OLD. Who relies on 40-year-olds in soccer?

Turns out, though, that Chivas USA and Suarez were still negotiating but the final parting of ways is more like a bitter divorce than a mutually beneficial farewell.

Suarez told La Opinion quite an earful when Suarez made public his intentions of walking off to the sunset.

What he told La Opinion:

Apparently Suarez and the club had been negotiating for the better part of five months, but Suarez called Chivas USA's offers "ridiculous." Although no figure was reported, Suarez apparently felt he was better than the pittance he was offered.

"My economic demands were not grand but they had to respect the fact that I was the image of the club because this club began with the idea of having a roster with a Mexican base and everything has changed. More and more important players are leaving and they are misleading fans with this project.

"I know they have to take care of their money but to be honest they disrespected me with what they offered."

"In fact, my priority was always to stay in the United States for family reasons. Now, this chapter with Chivas USA is closed. I won't re-consider anything. I'd rather play with an amateur club."

Chivas USA, of course, had no comments when approached by La Opinion.

Again, no surprise at all that Suarez is not back and that he has opted for retirement over a return to the playing fields. But it should be sad for the club to have shunned a player this way, a Mexican legend no matter how old he was when he finally retired, a player and above that a person who warrants respect.

Instead, the best Mexican defender of all time wants nothing to do with Chivas USA.

Not the best way to go about business.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey LB,

What makes you think this is all on Chivas USA? We know thy're cheapskates, but why didn't the Vergara/Cue Mexican mafia intervene?
Seriously, this is the MLS and CUSA has a tiny payroll. Shit, they have no DP! Claudio should have signed a two-year last year if he was so worried about staying in the USA.
Image of the team? I didn't see too many Suarez #2 jereseys out at the HDC? Everyone knows Marsch was the real captain. This team get less Mexican by the minute, but don't tell Lillingston.

He sounds like a bitter old prima donna.That's too bad.

Anonymous said...

It is a shame, Claudio is a gentleman and has never had any problems, this means they really hurt his feelings or offered something stupid. I don´t think he has ever been here for the money, but it confirms the idea everyone in soccer has at the moment: Chivas USA is going down, they don´t know their business and worst of all, all valuable people within the club are gone the last two seasons. Good luck selling tickets...no chance that this will ever work with these people taking soccer decisions like these (Jazic instead of Pancho...?, Suarez gone, Sacha frustrated, Lillingston...B Class Mexican striker, the medical department still not up to speed looking at the injury list and its still preseason!!!)

triste as they say in Mexico...

Anonymous said...

Come on now, who will pay ANY money to have Claudio play? IT IS OVER! He needs to step aside and become a Coach plain and simple. Claudio gave us some great years and now we must move on.

Pancho had decided that he wanted to play at Guadalajara a long time ago. Jazic was brought in because Pancho left, not because they wanted Pancho out.

Sacha frustrated? Last I checked there was no offer for him, not that Chivas USA didn't let him go. So if he is frustrated, it has nothing to do with the team, but his own personal issues. Everyone knows that he will be gone during the summer transfer window.

Lillingston a "B class Mexican Striker." Call it what you want, but it is the first time that Preki has actually really shown interest in a player. Nurse did't get the opportunities. The best part is that Lillingston really wants to be here and it seems like the other players want him here as well.

If you notice, most of the players on that injury list are no surprise. They were players that got surgery while in pre-season or the end of last season. The others is a different story. We do need our Meical Department to get a huge overhaul in order to move forward. The question is: Is Preki overworking our players?

To end this, if Chivas USA does go down, I am going with them all the way no matter what!!! The good thing is that I will continue to have faith in my TEAM!!!


MICHOACANO

Anonymous said...

Preach the Gospel, Michocano!!
Amen! Amen!

White people, I mean, "certain people" want the Goats to go away. Its not happening. At least not because they signed Jazic and let Claudio leave. Panchito and his passing went home. Good luck to him at Tapatio!!

I'll go down with Chivas USA if they do go down. Ill stop supporting this league, too.

ELAC

God Bless the USA!
God Bless Chivas USA!!

Anonymous said...

What Michigan said!....Claudio Suarez said he has always been a serious person, he's also said he'd retire before football passed him by, but him going public contradict his capricious comments.

He went crying to La Opinion and FSE. I think Chivas USA did the right thing for the club and didn't disrespect anyone.

Suarez wasn't the captain, Marsch was and still is.

What the second anon said is complete bullshit, obviously he doesn't follow the team close enough and likes to talk shit from across town.

Anonymous said...

Okay, it has been said, let us all go down with the team. As it looks now there is no ather route anyway...
Good luck with everything and keep up the good work! It went wrong with painting a different picture a couple of seasons ago and holding on to ideas which will never work here, the coach is on a different planet than the front office, probably overworking the players and he does whatever is best for him to move on. Let Marsch be the captain, Lillingston be the frontrunner and all the other idiots bring down a great illusion that started a few years ago. These are probably the last obstacles to change the name for once and forever. Regards from NorCal, we´ll just follow San Jose as Chivas has not brought us Mexicans anything to hold on to. Bad, Bad and Worse. Keep on paying money for a joke, put it in charity (or is this the same?)

Anonymous said...

The true colors come out when the situation does not look good! Go ahead and support San Jose they need a "true" supporter like you. I will just continue and pay my once a Season visit to Santa Clara and burn up Buck Shaw while supporting my team into VICTORY.

MICHOACANO

Anonymous said...

Call it loyalty to a flawed product. Its still loyalty, nevertheless.

Many Mexicans have pissed all over Chivas USA since 2005 'cause they weren't the real ones.

Consider yourself an idiot for assuming that all Chivas USA don't already KNOW what you have pointed out. We've moved on, I suggest you do the same.

The truth hurts sometimes. Ask Claudio.

ELAC

Anonymous said...

It is great to read the coments and know that there still is passion for Chivas USA (but it is getting less by the week I think). It is a shame that the Chivas USA project has not become what a lot of people expected, it has gone the opposite way from the initial idea. I do think that having the Chivas USA logo on the shirt, means true commitment to Mexican values and an honest intent to make someting out of this great chance. It´s been pretty good with a good second season and some exciting young players (Sacha, Jonathan, Sueno, Pancho, Guzano, Galindo); but anybody will understand it is hard to see the current roster and not be a little bit disapointed in the way its gone under the current management and head coach. I remember the youth development part of Chivas USA was always very successful and should have produced some good players by now, I don´t hear to much on it anymore; how come? A combination of some veterans and a roster with young promising socal players would be ideal. It seemed to go that way, have not heared anything since last year on young players..a shame that Chivas USA turned into a avarage and normal MLS franchise, instead of a club with heart and soul (with all respect to the Ultras, regular and Legion fans). Sad story. Change the Coach, invest in local players, create your own identity and stick with it.

Anonymous said...

You´re probably right. I saw Flores played with the U20´s yesterday, probably one of his last games, as he returns...no chance with our HC

Anonymous said...

Claudio is on my all-time favorite players list. I'll miss watching him with Chivas USA, my adopted team as we don't have on in Oklahoma.

Class act, amazing defender and still Best XI-caliber when healthy.

Anonymous said...

The Emperor is the man. Just retired at 41