Luis Suarez finds new club to extend career
Luis Suarez has moved to the fifth different country of his glittering career by signing for Brazilian club Gremio on a two-year contract until the end of 2024.
The former Liverpool, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid star will turn 36 next month and endured a disappointing World Cup with Uruguay during which he seemed off the pace and over the hill.
But Suarez, who left Europe during the summer of 2022 to return to boyhood club Nacional in Uruguay, has now embarked on a fresh chapter elsewhere in South America.
Earlier on Friday, Suarez posted a farewell message to Nacional on social media.
“It was nice while it lasted. Last day of the year, last day as a Nacional player. Thanks for the love!” he wrote, with the announcement of his Gremio following later.
É DO GRÊMIO! 🇪🇪🇺🇾 Um dos maiores da história do Uruguai, @LuisSuarez9 chega ao Tricolor para seguir sua trajetória vitoriosa, agora vestindo a nossa camisa! Artilheiro, multicampeão, copero y peleador! Seja bem-vindo, Luisito! pic.twitter.com/eOW9LXQ6fA
— Grêmio FBPA (@Gremio) December 31, 2022
Suarez will wear the number nine shirt at Gremio, a jersey he has worn with distinction for Uruguay since 2007, as well as at Barcelona, Atletico and Nacional more recently.
Gremio, based in the southern city of Porto Alegre, is where Ronaldinho first made his name in the professional game. The former Juventus, Real Madrid and AC Milan midfielder Emerson also began his career there, as did current Liverpool loanee Arthur.
Having won the Copa Libertadores as recently as 2017 and playing Real Madrid in that year’s FIFA Club World Cup final, Gremio were relegated to Brazil’s second tier in 2021 for the first time in 17 years. But they earned swift promotion back to the top flight in the recently concluded 2022 season.
The 2023 Brasileiro season will begin in April.