Nacional

Suárez joined local side Nacional's youth team at age 14.[31] At age 16,
Suárez headbutted a referee following a red card.[32] One night, he was
caught drinking and partying, prompting his coach to threaten he would never
play unless he started playing football more seriously.[31][33] In May 2005, at
age 18, Suárez made his first-team debut against Junior de Barranquilla in
the Copa Libertadores.[31] He scored his first goal in September 2005[34] and
helped Nacional win the 2005–06 Uruguayan league with 10 goals in 27
matches.[35]
Suárez was found by a group of scouts from the Dutch club Groningen when
they were in Uruguay to scout another player. As they watched, he won and
converted a penalty and scored a "wonder goal" against Defensor. After
watching only that match, the scouts approached Suárez and said they
wanted to buy him, and after the season, Groningen paid Nacional €800,000
for him.[31] Suárez was thrilled to go to Europe because his then girlfriend,
and now wife, Sofía Balbi, had moved to Barcelona; they had maintained a
long-distance relationship for a year and he wanted to move closer to her. [32]
[34]

Groningen

Suárez on the training field of Groningen in 2006

Suárez was 19 years old when he joined Groningen. Initially, Suárez struggled
because he could not speak Dutch or English, and he played on the second
team to adjust to the Dutch game.[36] His teammate and fellow
Uruguayan, Bruno Silva, helped him settle into living in the Netherlands and
playing for a new team.[36] He worked hard to learn Dutch and his teammates
respected him for his efforts with the language.[36] Suárez scored goals for
Groningen, but he also had disciplinary problems; in one five-game stretch in
January 2007, he scored four goals but received three yellow cardsand
one red card.[33] Suárez especially made his mark in a 4–3 home win
over Vitesse, when with ten minutes to go he subsequently won a penalty and
scored two goals.[37] Suárez ended with 10 goals in 29 league
appearances[38] to help Groningen finish eighth in the 2006–07 Eredivisie.[36]
[38]He also scored in a 4–2 loss[39] to Serbian club Partizan in his European
debut.[36]
Ajax saw potential in Suárez and offered Groningen €3.5 million for him, but
Groningen rejected the offer.[40] Suárez was upset and brought his case to
the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB)'s arbitration committee to try to
facilitate the sale.[40] The arbitration committee ruled against him on 9 August
2007, but that same day, Ajax increased their offer to €7.5 million and
Groningen accepted.[38][41]
Ajax
2007–08 season
Suárez signed a five-year contract with Ajax[40][42] and made his club debut in
the UEFA Champions League qualifier against Slavia Prague.[43] He scored one
goal in his Eredivisie debut for the club[44] and two goals in his home debut at
the Amsterdam Arena.[45] Ajax finished second in league in the 2007–08
season[46] and Suárez scored 17 goals in 33 league appearances, setting up a
blossoming striking partnership with league top scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.[47]
2008–09 season
During the 2008–09 season, Ajax head coach Marco van Basten noted how
Suárez played an important role in many of Ajax's goals, but Van Basten was
also upset by the number of yellow cards Suárez received.[44] Suárez was
suspended for one match[48] because he was given his seventh yellow card of
the season against Utrecht in a 2–0 win.[49] He was also suspended after a
half-time altercation with teammate Albert Luque over a free kick.[33][44] Ajax
ended the season in third place.[50] Suárez scored 22 goals in 31 league
matches[44][47] and finished second in scoring tables, one goal behind Mounir
El Hamdaoui of AZ.[51] Suárez was also named Ajax Player of the Year.[52]
2009–10 season

Suárez (with the Ajax pennant) as Ajax captain in 2010. Suárez was named captain in the 2009–10
season.

Before the 2009–10 season, Martin Jol replaced Van Basten as head coach.[44] After the
departure of Ajax captain Thomas Vermaelen to Arsenal, Jol named Suárez team captain.
[53][54] Suárez started scoring goals early in the season with a hat-trick in a 4–1 win
against RKC Waalwijk.[55] He had a number of multiple-goal matches throughout the
season, including four in wins over Slovan Bratislava in the UEFA Europe League play-off
round,[56] VVV-Venlo[57][58] and Roda JC.[59] He scored three in the first half in another
win over VVV-Venlo[60] and six against WHC Wezep in the KNVB Cup as Ajax won by a
club-record margin of 14–1.[61]
Suárez scored two goals in the second leg of the KNVB Cup final and finished as the
tournament's top scorer.[62] Ajax won the Cup final 6–1
on aggregate over Feyenoord,[52][62][6