Claudio Suarez announces retirement

According to a report out of Mexico, 40-year-old Chivas USA defender Claudio Suárez announced his retirement on Monday.

Mexico's all-time leader in caps was the last active player from Mexico's 1994 World Cup roster and retires as a legend of the game in North America.

As reported by mediotempo.com, Suárez said on a radio show that the contract offer he got from Chivas USA was far too low in comparison to his previous earnings.

"The relationship with Chivas USA doesn't exist anymore, since the contract wasn't signed to continue with MLS," Suárez said of his situation with MLS. "One wants to keep playing for a lifetime, because it's something I've dreamed of doing since childhood, but the years pass and life gets complicated and to keep moving from place to place and training gets very difficult."

"El Emperador" began his professional career in 1988 with Pumas before moving on to play for Guadalajara and Tigres in the Mexican Premier League. In 2006, at age 37, Suárez moved to America to join Chivas USA.

Suárez and a host of other newcomers helped turn the expansion franchise around, guiding the team to the playoffs for three straight years.

Suárez retires as a three-time World Cup veteran, having participated in 1994, 1998 and 2006. A leg injury kept him out of the 2002 World Cup.