Luis Suárez questioned Miami benching, says it made him calmer

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami forward Luis Suárez said he questioned the reason for being benched by former head coach Javier Mascherano, but added that the experience made him calmer.

“Obviously, at the time, Mascherano spoke to me about it and explained the situation. I understood it and accepted it without any issues,” Suárez told reporters on Wednesday.

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“Of course, when you start getting fewer and fewer minutes on the pitch, you inevitably ask yourself why? What is the reason? Especially since the minutes when I was playing weren’t exactly bad performances. But, well, those are decisions you just have to accept.

“My job was to keep working hard day in and day out, trying to prove that I deserved a bit more playing time.”

Mascherano made the decision to bench Suárez throughout the 2025 MLS playoffs following his one-game suspension in the first round against Nashville SC. Suárez then kicked off the 2026 campaign as a substitute before earning back his spot in the starting lineup under new interim manager Guillermo Hoyos.

He’s recorded two goals and two assists in seven MLS matches so far this season.

“Like any player’s career, not just mine, it goes through ups and downs. There are times when you feel great, and times when you feel off. There was the suspension, followed by the period of not playing, that whole experience actually led me to become calmer in a certain sense, I never went out and spoke.

“Then, obviously, when you get back to playing, you start feeling like yourself again, you feel happy and involved, which is what you always want, and you regain your confidence. But these are the ups and downs that every player goes through, and I’ve certainly experienced plenty of them throughout my career.”

Suárez made the decision to return to Inter Miami for the 2026 season, signing a new one-year contract in December.

“The decision comes from the realization that you still have a little bit left in the tank, that the desire to keep competing is still there,” Suárez said. “And, well, you can see it out on the pitch — I still get frustrated by defeats and misplaced passes and you still savor those moments when you manage to score.

“I still have that adrenaline, that burning desire to keep playing.”

The forward later shut down any talk of jealousy between him and Germán Berterame, denying rumors that he felt threatened by the offseason arrival of the Mexico forward.

“Naturally, new players arrive, new teammates coming in to help the team, and you have to support them and encourage them. A lot of things have been said. But Berterame is someone who possesses incredible physical attributes.

“My approach has always been to help him, and I will continue to help him, because he is a player who still has so much room to grow. We have a fantastic relationship. So, whether one new number nine arrives or two, my role will always be to try and help them given my age and my career trajectory, my main objective is simply to try and help anyone who joins the team.”

Hoyos previously opted to play Berterame and Suárez together as the two work to develop a partnership on the field.

Miami returns to action on Saturday when playing Toronto FC at BMO Field in Toronto.