Wed | Jan 1, 2025

Aguero announces retirement from football

Published:Wednesday | December 15, 2021 | 8:59 AM
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Argentine forward Sergio Aguero holds his new shirt during his official presentation as Atletico Madrid player in Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, Monday, June 5, 2006.
File
Argentine forward Sergio Aguero holds his new shirt during his official presentation as Atletico Madrid player in Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, Monday, June 5, 2006.
Former Argentina head coach, the late Diego Maradona (left) gives instructions to Sergio Aguero during the World Cup quarter-final soccer match against Germany at the Green Point stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, on Saturday, July 3, 2010.
Gero Breloer
Former Argentina head coach, the late Diego Maradona (left) gives instructions to Sergio Aguero during the World Cup quarter-final soccer match against Germany at the Green Point stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, on Saturday, July 3, 2010.
Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero (centre) poses for a photo with Barcelona president Joan Laporta (left), Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola (right) and Barcelona's head coach Xavi (centre) during a press conference at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcel
AP
Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero (centre) poses for a photo with Barcelona president Joan Laporta (left), Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola (right) and Barcelona's head coach Xavi (centre) during a press conference at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, today, where Aguero announced his retirement from football due to a heart condition.
Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the game during their English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Ethiad Stadium, Manchester England, on January 3, 2019.
AP
Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the game during their English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Ethiad Stadium, Manchester England, on January 3, 2019.
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BARCELONA, Spain (AP):

FIGHTING BACK tears, Sergio Aguero took a deep breath and finally made the announcement soccer fans had dreaded ever since he left a game with chest pains six weeks ago.

“I have decided to stop playing professional football,” the 33-year-old Barcelona striker said today in front of an intimate audience of friends, family and teammates from a prolific 18-year career that has come to a sad and sudden end.

Aguero, one of the world’s greatest strikers of this generation, underwent tests after leaving the field, holding his chest, during Barcelona’s match against Alaves in the Spanish league on October 30.

“When they did the first test in the clinic, the medical staff called to tell me there was a very big possibility that I wouldn’t be able to keep playing,” Aguero said. “... I was still processing everything when one of the doctors told me straight up, ‘That’s enough’.”

Speaking at a specially arranged press conference on the field at Camp Nou, Aguero looked on in sadness as a highlight reel of his career was played on a screen. There were goals — and lots of them — shown from his time playing for Independiente, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Argentina and his brief spell at Barcelona, which he joined in May but for whom he only managed to make five appearances.

He smiled as he reminded everyone the final goal of his career was against Real Madrid, Barcelona’s big rival.

Asked how he would like to be remembered, Aguero — living up to his reputation as a shy person — said he wasn’t the person to ask.

He finished, though, by saying: “I wasn’t bad, right? That’s what they tell me.”

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