Luis Suárez was presented at Arena do Grêmio on Wednesday night (4), in front of 26,000 fans.
16 years ago, he performed in Beira-Rio, in front of 30,000 spectators, in a tie between Internacional and Nacional, from Uruguay. The match qualified Inter for the round of 16 of the Libertadores, which they would win in 2006.
Luis Suárez was a 19-year-old boy. A month later, a Groningen observer from the Netherlands visited Montevideo to watch Nacional v Defensor. In June of that year, Suárez landed in the Netherlands for €800,000.
Even considering that the Grêmio signing arrives for free, without compensation to Nacional, his last club, the salary of R$ 2 million will make Grêmio spend R$ 52 million for two years of the contract. If I discovered Suárez in Beira-Rio, 16 years ago, I would spend R$ 4.6 million to get him out of Montevideo.
The salary would be a bargain.
The debate is not whether Suárez is worth it or not, but why Brazil continues to export its greatest teenage revelations and buy veterans, who don’t always come back with the commitment —or the physical condition— to perform at the level at which they consecrated themselves. .
Luis Suarez comes and Endrick goes
True, the teenager from Palmeiras will play for a year and a half in Brazil before moving to Real Madrid, where he will learn to be a global player. We will repeat, with amazement, how impressive his physical and tactical development is, without realizing that this happens there because the teams here do not demand the commitment to the profession that is required there.
Our absence from four of the last five semi-finals is not caused by a lack of talent, but the way they develop. No country in Europe has had players featured in every Champions League final of the 21st century. Brazil has. Not Argentina.
However, the Argentines put together a team in the image and likeness of Messi and won the Cup after 36 years – and we are already going to 24 in a row. Some of the stars of the Brazilian 2023 will be Arturo Vidal and Luis Suárez, stars of Chile and Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup. Possible stars at the North American World Cup, three years from now, are Vinicius Júnior, Rodrygo, Enzo Fernández, Julián Álvarez , all aged 22, invariably in European teams.
Revelation of the World Cup, in Qatar, Enzo Fernández played for Defensa y Justicia against Palmeiras, for the 2021 Recopa Sudamericana, for River Plate against Atlético-MG, for Libertadores of the same year, and against Fortaleza, in the year past.
Did you see?
Benfica yes.
In June 2022, he paid €10 million (R$57 million) to River Plate for 75% of the contract. Chelsea are considering paying €120 million (R$675 million) to Benfica. If the amount is confirmed, it will be the fifth largest transfer in history.
If Brazil loses to Benfica, who will it beat?
It’s not a case of blaming the lack of vision, because many people noticed the talent and knew that River intended to negotiate with Europe. It is about understanding that the only way for this old football country to become a protagonist in football disputes, both for clubs and national teams, is to look at what is done in the world and work to do the same or better here.
It is not about importing, but about understanding and adapting to our reality.
Brazil doesn’t have to feed the planet’s football. It has to feed on knowledge and export wisdom about the playful game we all fall in love with.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
