John Henry cannot understand why Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez left Liverpool.
Saturday’s Champions League final could see the Reds end a six-year wait for silverware barely four months since Coutinho was allowed to join Barcelona.
The Brazilian playmaker left Anfield after five years in a £142 million deal while Suarez previously departed in 2014, also for a move to the Nou camp.
But Liverpool’s principal owner Henry remains at a loss why the pair chose to depart when they could have lined up against Real Madrid this weekend.
“Maybe it’s because I’m an American, but I have a difficult time understanding why anyone would want to leave Liverpool,” he told the Associated Press.
“The club is so rich in history and tradition, supported by so many millions around the world, in virtually every country of the world.
“You don’t want to be in the position where players want to go somewhere else, even if it is a great club like Barcelona.
“It’s hard to understand why players would want to go to a league where the competition is so weak. They must play 30 or so meaningless matches per year waiting for Champions League matches.
“They’ll be watching this weekend and could have been playing.
“But (FSG President) Mike Gordon, (sporting director) Michael Edwards and everyone in our scouting department have done a terrific job in making the best of those two difficult situations.”