Suarez in tears: ‘They won’t see same Suárez from 2016, 2015 or 2013. Won’t run 50 meters forward, because I am not stupid’

Luis Suárez took Messi's advice to move to Gremio in Brazil's top division

Uruguayan player Luis Suarez is presented as Gremio´s new player during an event at the Gremio Arena stadium, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (Twitter/Gremio)

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Fans in Brazilian top side Gremio’s tricolour – blue, black and white, thronged the Porto Allegre stadium, to give a rousing reception to their brand new addition – Luis Suarez, reported El Grafico.

Suarez was presented amidst much fanfare at the home stadium with a capacity for 60,000 spectators, which was packed with Gremio fans giving him another massive welcome like the one that occurred last night when he arrived at the local airport accompanied by his family, who were also seen by his side on the playing field.

“I promise attitude, camaraderie, wins and goals,” he told the Gremio faithful. The club in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state shares a long rivalry with Internacional in Brazil’s Serie A.

Guardando está noite para sempre 📲💙

Boa noite, gremistada! 💤

📸: @lucasuebel | Grêmio FBPA pic.twitter.com/4UVU7f0Uus

— Grêmio FBPA (@Gremio) January 5, 2023

“I come to Gremio for the challenge of showing that at 36 I can play in this football, because this is what I like to do the most”, were his first words at the time of the presentation.

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Suarez was dressed in the Gremio tricolor shirt and dark pants.

“My friends Lionel Messi and Lucas Leiva (the Brazilian who was his teammate in Liverpool, from England and today plays for Gremio) advised me to come, because that’s what they are in life for, to support the decisions one makes,” he said.

Noche inolvidable 👏🏼

GRACIAS GRACIAS GRACIAS @Gremio 💙 pic.twitter.com/8DaYHq3OSM

— Luis Suárez (@LuisSuarez9) January 5, 2023

After leaving the playing field, he cried with emotion when he saw emotional messages from his children on a giant screen, El Grafico reported.

The “Pistolero”, who will be 37 years old next Tuesday, January 24, received Gremio’s number 9 shirt from the Uruguayan Atilio Ancheta, who, like him, played for Nacional de Uruguay and the “gaúcho” team.

“After his brilliant time at Spanish Barcelona, where he reached the pinnacle of his career, Suárez begins to retrace the last run with the same passion as always,” El Grafico wrote.

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“They are not going to see the same Suárez from 2016, 2015 or 2013. I am not going to run 50 meters forward, because I am not stupid. But with a movement at that distance I can help my teammates have chances. This is a young team and they will see in me someone who will train alongside everyone with the same enthusiasm as always,” Luis Suárez ended.