Not even the rain — biblical, unrelenting — could hide the tears.
The game was done, but Luis Suarez was not. For the best part of 15 minutes, he circled the pitch, clapping and sobbing, his team-mates reverential in the background. After a while, his wife and children ran on to smother him in hugs. In the stands, 50,000 more loved ones screamed his name.
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A video played up on the big screen. It was a compilation of the moments that led to and explained this one: the passes, celebrations and goals that have made Suarez a Gremio icon, just 11 months after he arrived at the club.
Now, after one final match — and one last winning goal for the road — at the Arena Gremio, he was saying goodbye. Three days later, it was revealed he was set to sign a one-year deal with Inter Miami, where he will link up with Lionel Messi.
On Saturday, though, it was all about Gremio.
“I will carry this moment with me,” said Suarez, the emotion writ large on his face. “This is more than I ever expected.”
That sentiment will be shared by everyone connected to the club. Gremio were only promoted back to the Brazilian top flight a year ago but they are on the verge of qualifying for the 2024 Copa Libertadores, thanks largely to Suarez. He has contributed 27 goals and 17 assists this year (all competitions), but even those numbers do not quite capture the impact he has had since arriving in Porto Alegre.
“In certain games, it seemed like he was from a different planet,” says Leonardo Oliveira, who covers Gremio for local newspaper Zero Hora. “It was like watching an alien play with humans.”
The signing was both a statement of intent and an olive branch to the fans. Gremio — one of Brazil’s most historic clubs — had endured two grim years and wanted to restore a little lustre. Suarez’s big-ticket appeal was immediately underlined when 30,000 fans turned up to welcome him to the stadium.
Not everyone was convinced at that stage. Suarez was just about to turn 36 and had been playing back in Uruguay; it felt to some like Gremio had prioritised brand awareness over on-pitch considerations. “It’s great from a marketing point of view but questionable in sporting terms,” wrote Paulo Vinicius Coelho, a well-known columnist.
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Those fears proved to be unfounded. Suarez scored a hat-trick on debut and was a cut above as Gremio cruised to the Rio Grande do Sul state championship. It was the same story when the Campeonato Brasileiro began: Suarez produced memorable finishes against Red Bull Bragantino and Cruzeiro, then netted a glorious individual goal in the derby win against Internacional.
Best of all was his 19-minute hat-trick against Botafogo in November, which dragged Gremio from the jaws of defeat to a stunning 4-3 victory. “A timeless display that deserves to go down in the history of the league,” wrote GloboEsporte’s Douglas Ceconello. “Gremio fans will tell their grandkids that they saw Suarez play in the tricolour shirt.”
Suarez’s coach was similarly effusive. “He’s different,” said Renato Portaluppi. “Watching him play is a beautiful thing.”
It is hard to argue with that assessment. Suarez may be a little slower and a little less explosive than the forward who scored so many goals for Liverpool and Barcelona, but there is still a lot to admire about his play. His mind is as razor-sharp as it ever was, as is his finishing. He is still politician-slippery and retains the Scrappy-Doo spirit that always made him such a b*****d to play against.
Importantly, he also cared. A lot of veteran players forget to pack their work ethic when they move back to South America, but not Suarez. “Even with his superior technical ability, he never stopped running for the team,” says Oliveira. “He gave his last drop of sweat to the cause.”
If Suarez plays in Gremio’s final Serie A game, against Fluminense in midweek, it will be his 54th club appearance of 2023. He has never played more in a single season. This is all the more remarkable when you consider that he has spent much of the year managing a chronic knee problem — one that often prevents him from training.
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In June, there were even whispers that the injury, which dates back to 2020, might force him to call time on his career. He asked to be substituted in a match against Coritiba after being overcome by joint pain. “It’s very serious,” said Gremio president Alberto Guerra. “He’s getting towards his limit.”
The club denied that Suarez had asked to retire. That rumour was then overtaken by a more pernicious one: that Suarez was looking to engineer an early departure so that he was free to join Inter Miami.
After weeks of telling silence from club and player, an agreement was reached: Suarez would stay put until December but Gremio would waive the second year of his contract. “Next year, I will not be able to produce what Gremio expect of me due to the intensity of Brazilian football and the number of games,” said Suarez. “It’s a decision I reached with the club. They understood and I’m thankful for that.”
Whatever the intricacies of the situation, it is a testament to Suarez’s efforts on the field that supporters did not turn on him. On the contrary, they have spent a good chunk of every game since then trying to convince him to stay, albeit more in hope than expectation. Team-mates, too, have rallied behind him.
It is not hard to understand the goodwill. Suarez has scored or assisted more than 40 per cent of the side’s goals this year. Off the pitch, Gremio have reported a huge surge in revenue from merchandising and ticket receipts. Club membership numbers have rocketed from around 60,000 at the start of 2023 to more than 100,000.
“I didn’t imagine the extent to which he would mobilise the fanbase,” says Oliveira, who cites Suarez’s willingness to engage with the local community as a key part of his appeal. “Some players lock themselves up inside gated communities, but Suarez picked his kids up from school, ate out with his family in the city centre and went to the supermarket in flip-flops. He was a star player who didn’t live in a bubble.”
Last week, Suarez was presented with a medal of honour by the local legislative assembly in recognition of his contribution to the city. On Sunday night, standing in front of his adoring public for the final time, he returned the compliment. “I felt at home here,” he said. “Wherever I go, I will always be a Gremio fan.”
He will soon be an Inter Miami player. Fresh adventures await, as does a reunion with Messi, his former Barcelona team-mate. For those he is leaving behind, memories of his whirlwind year in Porto Alegre will have to suffice.
“I have been following Gremio for over 40 years and they have had some great players in that time,” says Oliveira. “Suarez has not been at the club long, but I would put him near the very top of the list, alongside Renato (Portaluppi) and Ronaldinho.
“The fans will always remember the time when one of the greatest players in the world landed here.”
(Top photo: Liamara Polli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
