Luis Suarez recorded his 25th goal contribution in 36th appearance for Gremio when the Uruguayan opened the score against Cruzeiro on Sunday.
But it wasn’t the goal that stole the spotlight.
At the end of the first half, with Gremio in the lead, Suarez went down on the touchline after a challenge. His boot came off during the incident.
While he was protesting to the referee, an opposition player picked it up and threw off the pitch.
While donning only one boot, Suarez took his complaints to the referee, who subsequently booked Marlon.
Suarez was eventually reunited with his right boot and completed the full 90 minutes at Arena do Gremio. Gremio went on to win 3-0.
Suarez has generally been a huge success since joining Gremio in January 2023, but rumours have circulated that the former Barcelona star will terminate his contract early after persistent problems with his knee.
“I feel that next year I will not be able to perform due to my fitness and the high demands of the Brazilian championship, which is why the club and I have spoken about ending my contract (with Gremio) a year early,” Suarez said last month. “That would in December. The club agreed and I’m grateful to them.
“I don’t know if I’ll continue to play somewhere else because I have a chronic issue with my knee that you all know about.
“I’d ask Gremio supporters to value the fact that they have a 37-year-old player who always plays despite having a lot of pain in his knee. That’s all I ask.
“I’m well aware that Inter Miami spoke with Gremio and that the club told them that I have a contract. I can say that (Inter Miami) has not spoken to me.”