Barcelona star Luis Suarez has revealed that he was almost prevented from entering Spain when he was 16 years old after being questioned by officers at customs while trying to visit his girlfriend Sofia.
The Uruguayan, who is now married and has two children with Sofia, met his partner when he was 15 and she was 13 in Montevideo, where they both grew up.
Suarez has revealed that when Sofia moved to Barcelona with her family, he promised her that he would move to the city to be with her once he become a professional footballer.
During a documentary with Uruguayan TV channel Canal 10, the striker told the story of how he was detained at customs for not having information about where he was going at such a young age.
"I managed to get a ticket for Barcelona but I had no money to come. My big brother lent me the money, around 70 dollars, which was around 45 euros," he explained.
"It was a long flight, I got lost, and they detained me at Customs - I was 16 and I didn't have any address, I didn't have anything.
"I'd come with a white shirt and my nose had started bleeding. My girlfriend Sofia was waiting for me in the airport, but it had been two hours since I'd arrived and I still hadn't come out."
Suarez, who signed for Barca from Liverpool for £75m last summer, went on to claim that he was allowed through customs once he had shown a note from Sofia's aunt with the address and telephone number.
Danielle Joynson
