Luis Suárez reveals frank chat with Morten Hjulmand at Sporting | OneFootball

Luis Suárez revealed that he asked Morten Hjulmand to let him take Sporting’s penalty kicks. In an interview with Record newspaper – and after having spoken about the pressure of replacing Viktor Gyokeres – the Colombian international explained that the Lions’ captain had no problem handing him that responsibility.

“For that first penalty [against Arouca], I asked him because a striker needs to be confident. I felt I had played well against Casa Pia because I created many chances, so we talked and I told him I would feel calmer and more confident in front of goal. That’s why I asked to take the shot and he said ‘yes, no problem’. Since then, you’ve seen the quality I have in taking penalties and that gave me even more confidence,” explained Luis Suárez.

Regarding the pressure of taking the penalty against Santa Clara, the striker was clear: “It’s a moment of maximum concentration. When the penalty is awarded, I immediately start praying, I press the ball to my chest, to my face, and thank God for the opportunity. If I score, I thank God, and if I miss, I thank Him too because God helped us have that chance and we’ll still have the opportunity to draw or win the match.”

Statistical data suggests that Luis Suárez should have nine more goals, and the Colombian joked about this: “I believe the experts aren’t on the pitch where decisions have to be made, because there are goalkeepers, defenders. You have to be on the field or have been a player to understand that, because chances can be taken or missed. There are games where I need three chances to score a goal, and others where I score twice with just two shots.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.