Turin, May 20 (IANS) Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has said he will be marking FC Barcelona’s Luis Suarez without any added emotion after being bitten by the striker during last year’s World Cup in Brazil.
Suarez and Chiellini are set to meet for the first time, in the Champions League final on June 6 in Berlin, since the Uruguayan forward received a four-month ban for biting the Italy defender during a group game.
Chiellini said he does not want to dwell on the past and instead will carry on with his job of marking Suarez like he marked Real Madrid’s famed attacking trio of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in the semi-final.
Juventus beat Real Madrid 3-2 on aggregate to reach the final. Barcelona defeated Bayern Munich 5-3 in the other semi-final.
“It has been a week since we knocked out Real Madrid and people only ask me about Suarez, I bear no grudges. I have no problem with him. I will mark him the way I did Benzema, Ronaldo, Bale or any other striker, so there’s nothing different about it,” Suarez was quoted as saying by goal.com on Wednesday.
“The only thing that disappointed me that time was going out of the World Cup.” Uruguay bowed out of the competition after losing to Colombia in the round of 16 stage.
Chiellini said there is nothing more important than winning the final against Barcelona. Juventus last won the Champions League in the 1995-96 season.
“It’s a special game. It’s been far too long since we won the European Cup,” he said.