Luis Suárez to leave Gremio early
Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez announced on Saturday that he has reached an agreement with Gremio and will be able to terminate his contract in December 2023 due to a knee injury. He does not feel capable of fulfilling his commitment until the end of 2024.
In addition to announcing his early departure from Porto Alegre, the Uruguayan international hinted at a possible move to Inter Miami in the MLS to join his friend Lionel Messi, and said he does not know if he will continue his career or not.
"My intention, given my physical condition, was to stay with Gremio for two years, as agreed, but I have to be honest with myself, with my body, and with the club, and say that I don't know if I will be able to meet Gremio's expectations next year," said the 36-year-old striker.
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"I won't be able to meet the club's expectations next year. I have a chronic knee injury and Brazilian football is very intense. I don't know if I will stop playing or go to another team, but I will reduce my intensity."
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"The issue is due to the wear and tear on my knee, a chronic injury that everyone knows about and that I don't hide. And Brazilian football has a very high pace, as well as intensity," he said, attributing his departure from Brazilian football to his physical problems, not to offers from other clubs or disagreements with coach Renato Gaúcho.
Suárez stated that, due to the demands and high intensity of Brazilian football, it will be difficult for him to fulfill his commitment to Gremio in 2024, especially if the Brazilian team manages to qualify for the next year's Libertadores.
"We talked to the club. The club understood it and I thank them for understanding," Suárez said regarding the agreement that allowed him to reduce his contract with Gremio from two years to one.
"I don't know if I will continue. I don't know if I will go to another club. I know I will reduce my intensity. That is certain. I will decide later," he said when asked about speculations placing him at Inter Miami.
"So far, I have not personally spoken to any representative from the American club, but I do know that Inter contacted Gremio's officials, who responded that the transfer was not possible until the end of my contract," Suárez said.
In the midst of some breaks due to his injury, Suárez has played 32 games for Gremio, scoring 16 goals, and won the Gaúcho Championship title.
The Uruguayan still has the chance to win the Copa do Brasil title, in which Gremio can reach the final despite losing 0-2 to Flamengo in the first leg of the semifinals, and the Brazilian Championship title, where the team is second in the standings.
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