With the crowd chanting his name in the rain at the Arena do Gremio, wearing the captain’s armband and next to his family after scoring the winning goal against Vasco da Gama. That’s how Luis Suarez bid farewell to Gremio after a brilliant year in Porto Alegre.
The Uruguayan forward, who had originally signed a two-season contract in January, played his last match in front of the Tricolor fans. A few months ago, “Lucho” reached an agreement with the club to terminate his contract in December, as he felt that the physical demands of Brazilian football were too high to continue for another year. Recently, Suarez shared the suffering he had to endure throughout the season.
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Suárez explains his process to deal with knee pain
“On the outer part of the knee, I have tension from surgery in 2020 when I was at Barcelona. In the final stage of recovery, the pandemic broke out and I had to do exercises on my own, but I couldn’t fully stretch the knee. On the inside, I have cartilage wear, and it rubs against the bone. It doesn’t generate fluid because I couldn’t even move it, but it locks up, and I can’t bend it. The nights before games, I take three pills, and before the game, I inject Voltaren (anti-inflammatory); if I don’t do that, I can’t play,” Suárez said in an interview with 100% Deporte on Radio Sport 890.
GRACIAS, @LuisSuarez9 🥹🇪🇪 Um capítulo lindo de nossa história foi escrito por ti. O 4º maior artilheiro em atividade do mundo deixou a sua marca 27 vezes com nosso manto. Onde estiver, serás para sempre IMORTAL! 💙 pic.twitter.com/gtcy7aLshE
— Grêmio FBPA (@Gremio) December 4, 2023
“I have to think that in five years, maybe I can’t play 5-a-side football with my friends. The truth is that the first steps in the morning are very painful. Anyone who sees me thinks it’s impossible for me to play a match. My son asks me to play with him, and I can’t,” he added.
Despite the pain and at 36, Suarez managed to celebrate 27 goals, 17 assists, and two titles in 53 games with Gremio. A new chapter in his career awaits him, which will probably be in the United States. There, he would reunite with Lionel Messi at MLS side Inter Miami.
