Kun Agüero
On October 30, during the match between Barcelona and Alavés, Segio Agüero suffered a cardiac arrhythmia. Immediately, he was transferred by ambulance to the Barcelona Hospital where he began a treatment that, in theory, would last three months. Later studies showed that continuing to play at the highest level of competition meant a very high risk to his life, so finally on December 15 and through a press conference at the Camp Nou, he announced his retirement from football.
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FC BARCELONA
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Arjen Robben
After more than 20 seasons playing at the highest level, Arjen Robben announced in July this year his retirement from the pitch. After shining in Groningen and going through PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, with whom he won the Champions League thanks to a goal of his in 2013, he retired in 2019, and a year later, to announce his return to the team of its beginnings, the Groningen. This summer he announced his final retirement.
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OLAF KRAAK
AFP
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Wayne Rooney
At the beginning of January 2021, Wayne Rooney officially announced his retirement, although he had already been coach of Derby County a few days before. The English player, considered one of the English prodigies of the 21st century, started at Everton before joining the ranks of Manchester United, a club in which he served from 2004 to 2017. He briefly returned to Everton before going to MLS, where shone in the ranks of DC United. In 2019 he signed for Derby County, where he would hang up his boots.
Photo:
Laurence Griffiths
Getty Images
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Sami khedira
World Champion with Germany at the 2014 World Cup, Khedira was a so-called box-to-box midfielder. He stood out in the ranks of Stuttgart before arriving at Real Madrid in 2010. He would be with the Whites until the 2014-15 campaign, the year in which he would go to Juventus in Turin. With the transalpine team he would be until the 2020-21 campaign, in which he would return to Germany, to the ranks of Hertha, a club in which he would retire.
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MASSIMO PINCA
REUTERS
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Maxi Rodriguez
‘La Fiera’, author of one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup, is one of the best Argentine players of this century. After shining at Newell’s, he went to Spain, where he excelled at Espanyol and Atlético de Madrid before making the leap to the Premier, to the ranks of Liverpool. He returned to Newell’s, had an experience at Peñarol, to return for the third time to Rosario’s team. He retires professionally, but has ensured that he will continue to play in smaller teams together with his friend Scocco.
Photo:
Marcelo Endelli
Getty Images
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Ezequiel Garay
Another player weighed down by injuries in his last stage as a footballer, Ezequiel Garay had an explosive start: in 2004 he made his debut with Newell’s, in 2006 he signed with Racing Santander, and in 2008 his signing for Real Madrid was announced. With the whites, whom he arrived in 2009 after a year on loan for the Cantabrian team. In 2011 he was transferred to Benfica, where he played until 2014, where he went to Zenit. His last stage was at Valencia,
Photo:
DAVID GONZALEZ
DIARY AS
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Mario Mandzukic
The Croatian striker retired on September 3, after spending several months fighting various injuries. At that time he was a member of the ranks of Milan, after having started in the ranks of Dinamo Zagreb in 2005. In 2010 he went to the Bundesliga, where he would play for Wolfsburg and Bayern until in 4 he landed in Spanish football, in the Atlético de Madrid. He was only there for one season: he went to Juventus, after five years to Al Duhai in Qatar to end up again in Italy, Milan …
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MARCO BERTORELLO
AFP
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Antonio valencia
Ecuadorian winger or winger, Antonio Valencia withdrew this year due to a physical ailment that prevented him from performing one hundred percent. Valencia became popular when, in January 2009, Juande Ramos requested his signing for Real Madrid. However, Manchester United were faster and paid close to 18 million to join him at the end of that campaign. With the ‘red devils’ he would be until 2019, when he returned to his country, but the injuries took their toll. He ended up in Mexico, in the ranks of Querétaro, before retiring.
Photo:
ANDREW YATES
REUTERS
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Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri announced his final retirement from professional football in September through a short interview in the French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche.
Photo:
Dean Mouhtaropoulos
Getty Images
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