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Offline JDB

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Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« on: October 29, 2007, 05:40:51 AM »
Former Dutch international Stam ends career - reports

AMSTERDAM, Oct 29 (Reuters) -

Former Dutch international defender Jaap Stam has ended his playing career, Dutch media reported on Monday.
The 35-year-old played his last match for Ajax Amsterdam on Oct. 20 against NEC Nijmegen when he left the pitch injured.
Stam started his career in 1992 in the second division at Zwolle and earned his first big transfer four years later when he signed for PSV Eindhoven.
He joined Manchester United in 1998 and won the treble in his first season in England, before moving to Lazio in 2002 after he criticised United boss Alex Ferguson in his biography.
After three years in Rome Stam moved on to AC Milan and in 2006 he returned to the Netherlands to finish his career at Ajax, where he signed a two-year deal.
Stam won 67 caps and scored three goals for the Dutch team before ending his international career after the Euro 2004 finals in Portugal.
THE WARRIORS WILL NOT BE DENIED.

Offline Brownsugar

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Re: Stam Ends Career
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2007, 06:32:27 AM »
Good bye to a boss defender...... :salute:
"...If yuh clothes tear up
Or yuh shoes burst off,
You could still jump up when music play.
Old lady, young baby, everybody could dingolay...
Dingolay, ay, ay, ay ay,
Dingolay ay, ay, ay..."

RIP Shadow....The legend will live on in music...

Offline Peong

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Re: Stam Ends Career
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2007, 06:35:26 AM »
I had real like Stam, de man game was rough but clean.
Not a bad career.

Offline dinho

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Re: Stam Ends Career
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2007, 06:46:51 AM »
goodbye to a big, big, big, big defender!!

nothing used to go past him...

         

Offline mal jeux

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Re: Stam Ends Career
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2007, 07:26:04 AM »
I always liked his warrior approach to the game. Played tough!

"How many times do I have to flush before you go away?"

Offline Diambars

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Re: Stam Ends Career
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2007, 07:35:43 AM »
Anyone know what injury he has?

Offline 100% Barataria

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Re: Stam Ends Career
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2007, 08:10:09 AM »
Did real admire how dis man used to clean up, no nonsense attitude, de way a defender should be
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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Stam Ends Career
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2014, 04:32:22 AM »
Quote
...

Like every player, Jaap Stam eventually had to confront that telling question: what next? “A lot of players when they stop playing football, and I was one of them, think ‘I don’t want to go into coaching’,” the former Netherlands central defender told FIFA.com.

However, the towering ex-Manchester United and Lazio man soon realised, after getting a taste of directing the training sessions that he was more suited to coaching than he first thought, with him now taking up his first managerial role with Jong Ajax – the Dutch giants’ youth team.

“At the end, when you stop playing football, people ask you to help them out on the pitch,” said Stam.  “When you get out there it gives you a good feeling and when you see the players doing well it gives you a sense of satisfaction too.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/jaap-stam-i-didnt-want-to-be-a-coach/

A few days ago the Dutch FA indicated they would make special accommodation for Stam due to his discomfort with going to coaching course classes. It's been described as "classroom anxiety".

Offline Deeks

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Re: Stam Ends Career
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2014, 08:41:04 AM »
Quote
...

Like every player, Jaap Stam eventually had to confront that telling question: what next? “A lot of players when they stop playing football, and I was one of them, think ‘I don’t want to go into coaching’,” the former Netherlands central defender told FIFA.com.

However, the towering ex-Manchester United and Lazio man soon realised, after getting a taste of directing the training sessions that he was more suited to coaching than he first thought, with him now taking up his first managerial role with Jong Ajax – the Dutch giants’ youth team.

“At the end, when you stop playing football, people ask you to help them out on the pitch,” said Stam.  “When you get out there it gives you a good feeling and when you see the players doing well it gives you a sense of satisfaction too.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/jaap-stam-i-didnt-want-to-be-a-coach/

A few days ago the Dutch FA indicated they would make special accommodation for Stam due to his discomfort with going to coaching course classes. It's been described as "classroom anxiety".

So forumites, should Yaap get special treatment because of "classroom anxieties"?

Offline Peong

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Re: Stam Ends Career
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2014, 02:14:43 PM »
Very strange. So does he get anxious on the touchline too?

Offline asylumseeker

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Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2015, 12:45:38 PM »
Forlan case casts interesting light over old rivals

Diego Forlan has retired from international football – though it is probably fair to say that he was given a gentle push. Forlan had not represented Uruguay since last year's World Cup. Earlier this year he talked about his desire to play one last Copa America.

Maybe he felt that, with Luis Suarez still serving his suspension, an experienced striker might come in handy in Chile this June. But earlier this week coach Oscar Washington Tabarez announced his squad for the warm up match against Morocco at the end of the month, and Forlan's name was not included. The hint was taken, and Forlan has called time on an international career that makes him the most capped Uruguayan in history.

Currently with Cerezo Osaka in Japan, Forlan has played for plenty of big clubs and done some impressive things – he was, for example, top scorer of the Spanish league with both Villareal and Atletico Madrid. But he will almost certainly be remembered for his deeds in the sky blue shirt – which, one imagines, is what he would wish for.

Diego Forlan was born into a Uruguay shirt. His grandfather, Juan Carlos Corazo, had a top class playing career in Argentina and won the Copa America as Uruguay coach in 1959 and 67. His father Pablo took part in the latter campaign and also played in two World Cups.

The success of Pablo Forlan as player and coach meant that young Diego grew up in comfortable middle class surroundings. Football was by no means his only option – he could, for example, have tried to make it as a tennis professional. But football is serious business in Uruguay. Elsewhere in the world the sons of high profile players normally lack that vital bit of hunger that transforms promise in reality. But Uruguayan football is full of such dynasties. And there was never any lack of hunger from Forlan when he pulled on the sky blue shirt.

He will be remembered as one of the stalwarts of the side which put Uruguay back on the map after Tabarez took over in 2006. His crowning achievement, of course, was to be chosen as the best player of the 2010 World Cup, when Uruguay reached the semi finals for the first time since 1970. Another undoubted high was the record 15th Copa America win in 2011, made all the sweeter by the fact that it happened in Argentina. Going home with the silverware was especially sweet for Forlan, given his family connection with the competition.

Diego Forlan, then, has played a key role in getting Uruguayan kids to wear the shirt of their national team with pride. But his international career did not start with the Tabarez era of 2006 – as Socceroos fans may be able to recall.

He did not feature in the first of those two epic play-off battles between Uruguay and Australia. At the end of 2001 he had yet to make his international debut, amid fears that his finishing was not sufficiently precise. Once Uruguay had qualified for the 2002 World Cup he was eased into the squad and went on to score a goal in the tournament.

By the end of 2005 it was a very different story. Uruguay scraped its way into the play-off after an uneven campaign – but one in which Forlan was its top goalscorer. His versatility – two footed, mobile, able to set up the play as well as score – meant that he was operating behind a physically strong dual centre forward strike force of Marcelo Zalayeta and Richard Morales. But come this second meeting with Australia there was a problem – Forlan was struggling for fitness. What would coach Jorge Fossati do about it?

In hindsight it is clear that Fossati took the wrong option. He chose to risk Forlan in the first leg in Montevideo – the player lasted just 18 minutes before he had to be substituted, and he could play no part in the return match in Sydney. Had its sharpest attacking weapon been fit, then in Montevideo Uruguay may well have been able to turn its second half domination into goals. But he was not fit. Given a few more days to recover, he might have been able to snatch a vital away goal in the second leg. That, though, was no longer an option, and, of course, it was Australia which came through on penalties.

In the long term that defeat has only proved positive for Uruguay. Had it made it through to Germany it may well have been happy to keep muddling on. Instead, failure to qualify opened the door for Tabarez and his bold project, where Uruguay's youth sides have been used to identify players capable of shining on the global stage.

It is the success of this work – where the players are groomed and given a crash course in the identity of the Uruguayan national team – which now renders Diego Forlan surplus to requirements. He has been overtaken as Uruguay's top scorer by Luis Suarez, who, along with Edinson Cavani, is a product of the 2007 Under-20 team.

Abel Hernandez has subsequently come through the ranks, along with more recent graduates such as Diego Rolan and playmaker Giorgian De Arrascaeta, and there are huge hopes of the star of this year's Under-20 side, the lanky left footed Gaston Pereiro.

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/blog/2015/03/15/forlan-case-casts-interesting-light-over-old-rivals

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2015, 12:54:34 PM »
In his own words: Forlan on the decision to retire

Quote
"Con gran pesar por mi parte he decidido retirarme de la selección. He jugado 112 veces para Uruguay y vivido algunos de los momentos más emocionantes de mi vida defendiendo la camiseta de mi país. Con 36 goles fui máximo goleador de la selección superando el récord establecido por Héctor Scarone hasta que apareció un muchacho llamado Luis Suárez que no ha parado de marcar.

Sabía que este día llegaría y tomé la decisión hace un par de semanas después de hablar con mi padre, que también jugó para Uruguay, al igual que mi abuelo. Tras nuestra charla comprendí que éste era un buen momento para dejar la selección.

Como futbolista es difícil saber cuándo decir adiós porque siempre pensás que podés dar un poco más pero la posibilidad de que este año jugara la Copa América o la clasificación para el Mundial 2018 era cada vez más improbable. Tengo 35 años; he vivido momentos inolvidables con la selección uruguaya pero creo que ha llegado el momento de dar a los jugadores más jóvenes las mismas oportunidades que tuve yo.

Se ha producido un cambio generacional y se han aprovechado partidos amistosos para probar a los nuevos jugadores. Les va a ir bien.

Al primero que llamé el domingo pasado para comunicarle mi decisión fue al legendario entrenador de la selección uruguaya Óscar Tabarez. Entendió mis razones y coincidió en que era mejor ser recordado por lo había conseguido estando en mi mejor momento. También me dijo que se necesita mucho valor para decir adiós. Luego llamé a los demás entrenadores de la selección con los que siempre he mantenido una estrecha relación y cuyo apoyo ha sido muy importante en mi carrera. Hemos pasado por mucho juntos y creo que merecen saberlo antes de que aparezca publicado en la prensa. También mandé un mensaje a mis compañeros de equipo a través del grupo WhatsApp que tenemos. ¡Puede que ya me hayan expulsado del grupo!

Son tantos los recuerdos… empezando por cantar el himno nacional de Uruguay antes de mi debut en un amistoso contra Arabia Saudí hace 13 años. Ese día me sentía el hombre más orgulloso y satisfecho sobre la faz de la tierra, había cumplido mi sueño y jugaba con el grandioso equipo de Uruguay, al que solo había visto por la tele. Ese día marqué.

Unos meses más tarde participé por primera vez en la fase final de la Copa del Mundo y marqué uno de mis goles favoritos, un tanto de volea contra Senegal a los pocos minutos de entrar en el terreno de juego en mi debut competitivo.

2010 y 2011 fueron mis mejores años, y lo vivido en el Mundial 2010 fue una experiencia inolvidable. Nuestra modesta selección llegó a las semifinales, me proclamé uno de los máximos goleadores del torneo y mi tanto contra Alemania fue votado como el mejor gol del campeonato. Y por si ello fuera poco fui nombrado mejor jugador del Mundial. El largo vuelo de vuelta a Montevideo estuvo colmado de felicidad. Cientos de miles de personas nos esperaban en la capital para celebrar una gran fiesta. No pude mostrar mis trofeos porque no llegaron hasta seis meses más tarde.

Al año siguiente nos proclamamos campeones al ganar la Copa América, un logro increíble para un país con poco más de 3 millones de habitantes. Brasil tiene 200 millones. Convertirme en la única persona de tres generaciones de la misma familia en ganar la Copa América fue un acontecimiento apoteósico.

Vencimos a Argentina, nuestro gran rival, en los cuartos de final a pesar de contar con un jugador menos durante la mayor parte el encuentro. Les ganamos en la tanda de penales por 5-4 después de que Carlos Tévez fallara para Argentina. Marqué dos veces en la final que ganamos contra Paraguay, que había dejado a Brasil fuera de la competición, con un resultado de 3-0. Impresionante.

Mi gran decepción fue quedar fuera de la fase final de la Copa del Mundo en 2006 al ser derrotados por Australia. Yo recién salía de una lesión y tras 12 minutos del primer partido por la eliminatoria me cometieron falta y tuve que abandonar el terreno de juego. No pude ir a Australia para disputar el segundo partido por la eliminatoria pero vi el partido de la selección en casa; fue horrible. Sin embargo, cuatro años después volvimos para jugar el inolvidable torneo en Sudáfrica. Entonces ya sabíamos que contábamos con un buen equipo y que no íbamos solo de paseo, sabíamos que podíamos competir con los mejores equipos.

La selección nacional ha sido una parte importante de mi vida durante mucho tiempo y voy a echarla de menos, especialmente cuando empiece la Copa América y yo no esté allí. En estos momentos me siento inmerso en un profundo duelo pero he tenido tiempo de prepararme para esta situación. No fue una decisión de la noche a la mañana. En el Mundial de Brasil me di cuenta de que las cosas estaban tomando un nuevo aire con la llegada de savia nueva. El fútbol no espera a nadie.

Me encanta ver jugar a la selección uruguaya por la tele y todavía juego en una liga profesional. Adoro este juego. Me mantengo en buena forma y acabo de empezar una nueva temporada con el Cerezo Osaka de Japón.

Por último, quisiera dar las gracias a las personas que me ayudaron a conseguir una carrera internacional de éxito –a los aficionados, a mi familia, a los entrenadores y a todos aquellos jugadores con los que tuve la suerte de compartir momentos de juego. Los sueños pueden hacerse realidad".´

http://www.ovaciondigital.com.uy/futbol/columna-forlan-retiro-seleccion.html

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #12 on: March 16, 2015, 01:10:10 PM »
On Forlan's shopping experience in South Africa ...

Quote
El prestigio que fue ganando cuando en 2001 desembarcó en Manchester United, le brindó otro lugar en la sociedad y le quitó las licencias que le permitían recorrer el mundo como un semidesconocido.

Los éxitos posteriores en España, en Villarreal y Atlético de Madrid, le llevaron a aprender a convivir con la fama. Empezó a tener entorno de estrella, aunque siempre prefirió el perfil bajo. Evitaba salir a lugares en los que confluían las masas, y encontró, según le confesó al periodista en 2011, estrategias para no dejar de hacer, en un porcentaje menor, actividades como cualquier otro. Cuando quería ir al cine, elegía un día entre semana y el horario de menor concurrencia.

Así fue descubriendo que podía brillar en el fútbol, girar en una órbita diferente al de los mortales pero recorrer los mismos lugares que el resto, con restricciones. Era una aventura, que asumía con naturalidad, porque reconocía como parte del lugar en el que le había dejado en el fútbol.

En ese recorrido por la fama, el Mundial de 2010 marcó un punto de inflexión en todos los aspectos. El 24 de junio, tras la clasificación a octavos y dos días antes del partido con Corea del Sur, Forlán llegó junto a otros 18 compañeros (cuatro jugadores se quedaron en el hotel), el cuerpo técnico, los quinesiólogos, el médico y los funcionarios administrativos, al Shopping Diamont Pavillion de Kimberley, la ciudad de poco más de 200.000 habitantes que quedaba en el medio de Sudáfrica, lejos del ruido mundialista y que Tabárez había elegido para encontrar paz. Ese entorno le permitió a Forlán subirse a la aventura de visitar un Shopping. El óminbus llegó a las 11.30 al estacionamiento; 45 minutos después, debían estar de regreso..

Forlán, que andaba acompañado por el "Ruso" Pérez y Eguren, se sentía acosado por tantas miradas. Nada diferente a lo que era el resto de sus días, aunque estaba en medio de una ciudad ajena a la fiebre del fútbol y sin hinchas.

El periodista, que había recibido la información de que irían de recorrida, encontró a Forlán en una disquería, buscando un refugio, porque los hinchas lo estaban atosigando. Miraba un disco y relojeaba el entorno. "Si sabía que era así, no venía", dijo al periodista con esa timidez que lo caracteriza y la inquietud que le promovía el momento. Dio una vuelta dentro del local al tiempo que se achicaba para que no lo vieran a través de los vidrios. Miró otra vez al periodista, y le dijo: "Me voy... ¡Ya está, me voy!". Recién era 11.40. Sin dudar en su acción, como si estuviera acostumbrado, acompañado por el ataché de la delegación, un par de policías, personal de la brigada de explosivos, que acompañaban al grupo, y una decena que se fue transformando en multitud que lo perseguía a los gritos mientras casi que corría por los pasillos, se perdió. Subió al óminbus y esperó la hora para regresar al hotel.

El resto del grupo disfrutó de una mañana diferente y volvió, como estaba previsto, a las 12.15.

Cuando el 11 de julio en Port Elizabeth la selección tuvo libre, el día previo al regreso a Montevideo, Forlán fue el único que no salió en todo el día del hotel. Definitivamente había reafirmado el lugar que le tocaría recorrer a partir de ese momento.

http://www.ovaciondigital.com.uy/futbol/diego-forlan-huida-shopping.html

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #13 on: March 16, 2015, 01:21:40 PM »
On Forlan's professionalism ...

Quote
A diferencia de lo que vi después en el proceso de Tabárez, en esa época estaba siempre solo. Eso sí, estaba permanentemente con la última tecnología en celulares, bien informado y conocía a jugadores de todo el mundo. Fue siempre un placer compartir con él.

Es el símbolo del jugador profesional, gracias al entrenamiento, a su dieta, eso que tanta importancia adquirió en la preparación de los jugadores.

Fue el primer jugador al que vi comer sushi. Cuando iba al gimnasio, él estaba trabajando; terminaba la práctica y se quedaba pegando tiros libres; en los aviones siempre lo veías con un libro en la mano. Además tiene un nivel de autocrítica increíble: la lectura que hacía de ellos era 10 puntos.

Estaba muy informado sobre los rivales, sabía como jugaban. El mejor recuerdo que tengo con Diego fue cuando estaba en la final del Mundial de Sudáfrica, y lo llame para darle una de las mejores noticias: que la FIFA lo había nombrado Mejor jugador del Mundial.

http://www.ovaciondigital.com.uy/futbol/diego-forlan-sebastian-bauza.html

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2015, 03:16:38 AM »
Cuauhtémoc Blanco

5 December 1992 - April 21, 2015

The 42 year old Blanco retired yesterday following participating in Puebla's 4-2 victory over Chivas to win the Copa Mx. He retires as one of two Mexican players to have scored at three different World Cups (1998, 2002 and 2010). Put into context, it should be noted that he was excluded from the 2006 WC squad due to personal difference with Ricardo Lavolpe.

In his exclusion from a WC squad he reminds me of Romario. In his personal disposition, reception from the fans and his ability to be controversial, he reminds me of Riquelme. In his retirement, he reminds us of the the road explored by several former retiring players: politics. He is standing as a mayoral candidate in a municipality of fair importance.

More to follow.

Offline Deeks

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #15 on: April 22, 2015, 04:16:45 AM »
Yes he is a mercurial player. Funny thing, his goal celebration was similar to Usain Bolt celebration after winning a race. Temoc is the first person I see with that. No disrespect to Usain. Whatever endeavor he pursue after retiring, I wish him well. The poor man in Mexico could do with a "honest" man on their side.

Pix and video of his goals and celebration.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cuauhtemoc+blanco+goal+celebration
« Last Edit: April 22, 2015, 04:22:43 AM by Deeks »

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #16 on: May 29, 2015, 06:56:38 PM »
Dwayne De Rosario

1997 - 2015

Before stepping out of his car and into a Scarborough grocery store, Dwayne De Rosario paused to call a reporter. The ensuing conversation included a few quick timeouts to quiet down his kids, who were in the car with him and restless to get moving.

Less than a day earlier De Rosario, Scarborough native and six-time MLS first-team all-star, used his Instagram account to announce his retirement from pro soccer, and in this conversation he cited factors driving his decision.

Like the nagging injuries that come with age, and a hunger for the game that diminished along with his playing time last season, when he recorded just 506 minutes and a single goal for Toronto FC. Both totals were career lows.

But mostly, De Rosario said, he retired because after spending the winter as a free agent and missing training camp for the first time since his adolescence, he’d grown to cherish moments like the one interrupted by this phone interview — a simple midday trip to run an errand with his kids in tow.

After half a lifetime in pro soccer, De Rosario said this off-season showed him it was okay to walk away if retiring meant spending more time with his wife Brandy and their three children.

“Life goes on at the De Rosario household,” he said. “Twenty years of my life were spent playing pro. It might be time to start focusing on being at (my kids’) games.”

De Rosario retires as the sixth-leading goal scorer in MLS history, with 104 goals in 343 regular-season matches.

He started his MLS career in 2001 with the San Jose Earthquakes, where he played a key role in two MLS Cup-winning squads. From there he moved to the Houston Dynamo, where he won league titles in 2006 and 2007.

But from the time Toronto FC entered MLS, speculation percolated that De Rosario, who first turned pro with the Toronto Lynx in 1997, would join the Reds. He finally joined the team in 2009, starting a 2 ½-season stretch that saw him score a franchise-record 28 goals.

“When you need a player to make a play, Dwayne made a play,” said TFC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “He’s a competitor and he never wanted to lose.”

He played just two games with TFC in 2011, traded to New York after a bitter dispute over pay that had simmered since the previous summer, and finished the season with D.C. United. But he scored at every stop, totaling an MLS-leading 16 goals and winning league MVP.

Two seasons later De Rosario returned to TFC, lured back by MLSE boss Tim Leiweke and his promises to build a winner.

But by then De Rosario’s play had already started to decline. After scoring 16 goals in 2011 he netted just 10 over his final three seasons. And while he enjoyed the player/mentor role he adopted in his second stint in Toronto, De Rosario said that by the end of last season, a big part of him had already moved on.

“If I don’t love what I do as much as I did before, there’s no point,” he said. “But playing in my hometown is a dream come true.”

Both the Dynamo and Vancouver Whitecaps congratulated De Rosario on his career over Twitter. Montreal Impact captain Patrice Bernier also reached out over Twitter by calling De Rosario a “Canadian legend and great ambassador of the game.”

Though he’s retired from MLS, De Rosario says he may continue playing with Canada’s national team and is considering suiting up for a World Cup qualifier against Dominica in Toronto June 8. He remains the national team’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals.

De Rosario says his immediate future includes working with his charitable foundation, establishing a soccer house league in June and an academy for elite players later this year. All three of those initiatives will work to mentor children in Toronto Community Housing, he said.

“We’re trying to find the next De Ro in those environments.”

Source: The Star

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #17 on: May 29, 2015, 07:05:38 PM »
Brad Friedel

1994 - 2015

Having originally arrived in England more than 17 years ago, Brad is returning home to America to become an analyst, pundit and co-commentator for US channel Fox Sports and will also be our Club Ambassador in the United States.

His Club role will include supporting our Global Coaching programme and engaging with our Super Clubs in Tallahassee and East Bay and 40 Supporters Clubs across North America.

"I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved in my career," said Brad. "When I first started the journey I never imagined it would be this long, playing 23 seasons in total and representing some incredible clubs.

"One thing I will miss is that day-to-day interaction with the staff and players. There really is nothing like it but my 44th birthday is here so I think it is a good time to call it a day. I’ve got some wonderful opportunities in front of me working for Fox TV and I’m completing my pro licence.

"I’ve also signed on as a Club Ambassador for Spurs focusing on the USA.  I’ve got a great relationship with the staff and Board, so I’ll certainly do my bit to help the club go further.

"I’ve had a tremendous time here and met a lot of great people along the way.  This is a wonderful football club and I feel honoured to have been a part of it for four years.

"The manager is great, while there is incredible talent in the changing room, both young and old and with time I see great things ahead."

Holder of the record for consecutive starts in the Premier League - an incredible 310 - Brad joined us from Aston Villa in the summer of 2011.

Brad was ever-present in the Premier League in his first season here - 2011-12. His incredible run of Premier League starts reached the 300 mark at QPR in April, 2012, and he was presented with a special Barclays Merit Award in recognition.

He took his tally to 304 matches by the end of the season, when he achieved another record - becoming the club's oldest player at 40 years, 350 days, passing the mark set by Jimmy Cantrell that had stood for 89 years.

He eventually reached 310 before Hugo Lloris took over the gloves against Aston Villa in October, 2012. Brad went on to play 20 times in all competitions in 2012-13, including 11 in the Premier League and seven in the Europa League.

In 2013-14, Brad's appearance against Newcastle in the Premier League in November was his 50th for us as he played nine times in all competitions.

His last appearance for us came on the huge stage of Benfica's Estadia da Luz in the Round of 16 of the Europa League in March last year, taking his total to 67 appearances for us in all competitions.

Capped 82 times by the USA, including three World Cup Finals, Brad began his Premier League career at Liverpool in 1997 before joining Blackburn in 2000. He won the League Cup (against us!) in his time at Ewood Park and made 356 appearances for Rovers, scoring once at Charlton Athletic in February, 2004, before joining Aston Villa in the summer of 2008.

SOURCE (with accompanying video interview): http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/brad-calls-time-on-illustrious-playing-career-140515/

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #18 on: May 29, 2015, 07:20:12 PM »
William Gallas

August 1995 - October 16, 2014

William Gallas was a great player who let his defending do the talking
(The Guardian)

I first came across William Gallas in the summer of 2001. He had just signed for Chelsea for a shade over £6m, and was in the group making his way across a training pitch in Udinese, where he and his new team-mates were fine-tuning for the campaign ahead at a pre-season friendly.

Catching some brief small talk the first impression of the man was that he was, if not exactly aloof, certainly cautious about how he interacted with others. What kind of a guy did he seem to be? It was really difficult to pin down. Throughout his career he was an awkward communicator, and it was a surprise some years later, in 2007, to hear that he had agreed to a rare interview. By then he had joined Arsenal after five years of understated excellence, and two Premier League title medals, in Chelsea’s defence.

A longer conversation left me little the wiser than that first impression. It seemed almost appropriate that he has this oddly gravelly tone to his voice which makes it hard to attune to exactly what he is saying anyway. This intense man seemed a little paradoxical – simultaneously introspective as a person yet not shy to give forthright views. He had a reputation in France for being close-to-the-bone truthful, a manner that was not to everyone’s tastes. The idea that he didn’t fit in with the stereotypical footballer’s dressing room came across as he admitted in that interview that the football life is not one conducive to having a lot of close companions. “I don’t really have friends,” he said.

Gallas retired last week. He called time on his career after a short and underwhelming spell at Perth Glory in the A-League. José Mourinho reflected kindly about him. “Fantastic player,” he said. “He’s the kind of player that when you have him in your squad, instead of having 22, you have 24 or 25. He plays right-back, left-back, central defender on the right and on the left. I don’t remember a William mistake, I just remember his untouchable performances.”

At his other clubs he is not remembered in quite such straightforward terms. And this gets to the crux of this man who was great at football but not so great at the stuff that goes with it. The key is to distinguish between Gallas the footballer and Gallas the leader. His legacy in that regard is completely split.

Ah, Gallas the leader. There’s a complicated subject. It was quite a shock wheun he was given the Arsenal captaincy ahead of Gilberto Silva, whose longevity, authority and popularity made him the obvious choice. The Brazilian only discovered the news when he saw it on the club’s website, and was understandably upset. The armband was Gallas’s, but not for long. The situation appeared to become untenable during a critical match at the sharp end. A young team were heading the table going into a game at Birmingham in 2008 when all of sudden everything was wrecked.

Arsenal’s striker, Eduardo, had his leg shattered in a terrible injury, and with the players in an emotional state about their team-mate and having dragged themselves from a goal down to lead, Birmingham were awarded a late penalty. Gallas, the captain, lost it. He stomped into the Birmingham half in protest. He abdicated his duties not only as a leader, but also just as a defender, with a chance of clearing the ball if the kick was missed. At the end of the match he had to be restrained. Arsenal never recovered from this turbulent game and slipped down the league.

Arsène Wenger, controversially, decided to keep Gallas as captain, but the issue bubbled up again the following November, when he spoke publicly about tensions in the squad. He muttered about “insults” and “problems”. While he was not well-loved by some of his team-mates, that betrayal of dressing room confidences prompted the removal of the captaincy. He played on for another season and a half before swapping London clubs once again to become the first person to play for Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham.

On the subject of the captaincy, there is a wider question as to whether appointing someone as a leader who does not have the personality to lend itself to being a spokesperson, an example and a motivator can actually be detrimental to that player. Gallas was at his best at Chelsea, or playing for France (he won 84 caps), when his main responsibility was to get on with his own game quietly, which he did with excellent assurance.

Perhaps his playing prowess is not valued as much as it should be as it is so difficult to separate the technical side from the rest. There was that weird episode when Chelsea made an alarming attack on his integrity by suggesting he had threatened to score an own goal if he was not allowed to leave.

At the time Gallas said nothing. It was an obvious issue to broach at that 2007 interview. Was it not difficult to keep a dignified silence when it must have been tempting to lash back? “It was not difficult because they know the truth and I know the truth,” he said, with a calm, difficult-to-read, enigmatic smile. “Life is very strange, but there you go.”

Harry Redknapp called it a “no-brainer” when he signed Gallas on a free transfer in 2010 for one season. He actually captained Tottenham for the first time in a 3-2 win at the Emirates against his old club Arsenal, and played well enough to earn another couple of years at White Hart Lane.

Then came Australia. He was Perth Glory’s marquee player, but even that was a subject for debate as the club’s owner reckoned that although he was helpful in mentoring young players, he was less helpful as an attraction to put bums on seats. “You need a creative or attacking player for that marquee [contract],” noted owner Tony Sage.

Gallas said he wanted to play until he was 40. But he retired at 37 after one season, and 15 appearances, in Perth. A tragi-comic fresh air kick during a match against Western Sydney (who nipped in to score and seal a win) became his most famous contribution.

It is curious how the career of this largely consistent player is marked by eventful moments. It was Gallas who scored the goal against Ireland in the World Cup play-off which is remembered always for the Thierry Henry handball. These two team-mates, born on the same day in the Paris suburbs to Guadeloupe-born parents, both attended the Clairefontaine academy together. Their careers were intertwined, yet they were at opposite poles in terms of how they conducted themselves in the circus of football.

Henry was an easy talker, an excellent communicator, a showman on the pitch, had a huge media presence, forever talking about the team. Gallas kept a quiet distance, punctuated by sudden, unwieldy moments.

“We are not machines,” he once said. Perhaps he will be happier away from it all.

« Last Edit: May 29, 2015, 10:05:45 PM by asylumseeker »

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #19 on: May 29, 2015, 07:28:31 PM »
De Rosario was a special player, surprised he never got the opportunity to play in Europe.

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #20 on: June 03, 2015, 06:55:55 AM »
Rio Ferdinand

5 May, 1996 - 30 May, 2015

Statement

"After 18 years as a professional footballer, I now feel it's the right time for me to retire from the game that I love.

“As a 12-year-old boy, kicking around a football on the Friary Estate in Peckham, I never dreamt that I would play for my boyhood club West Ham, captain Leeds United, win the Champions League with Manchester United, or re-join my first manager Harry Redknapp at Queens Park Rangers.

“I will always regard the 81 times that I played for England, with immense pride. These are all treasured memories that will last a lifetime.

“Starting a career, every young man needs mentors. I found mine in Dave Goodwin, the district manager at Blackheath, and Tony Carr, the youth team manager at West Ham. They installed in me personality traits that lasted throughout my career. I will always be grateful to them.

“I'd like to thank Chris Ramsey, Harry Redknapp, David O'Leary and David Moyes who managed me at various times in my career, all the backroom staff who looked after me over the years, and the players that I played with. I would also like to thank the team who managed me off the pitch, Jamie Moralee and everybody at New Era.

“Winning trophies over my 13 years at Manchester United allowed me to achieve everything that I desired in football. From a young child to today, that was all I cared about.

“None of that would have been possible, without the genius of one man, Sir Alex Ferguson. His greatest accomplishment in my eyes will always be how he developed us as men, not just as footballers. He will in my opinion, always be the greatest manager in British football history.

“I'd also like to thank and pay tribute to my wife Rebecca and my family, including my mother and father, for their sacrifices, their encouragement and their advice throughout my career.

“And finally, I'd like to thank all the fans from all the clubs - for without them professional football would not exist. I will miss each and every one of you on my Saturday afternoons.”


Ex-England, Man United defender Rio Ferdinand retires after 20-year pro career
Steve Douglas (The Associated Press)


Former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand announced his retirement on Saturday, ending a 20-year professional career in which the ball-playing centre back established himself as one of the top English players of his generation.

“This season, I really found out that it was time to hang the boots up and get back in the house and watch other people play the game,” the 36-year-old Ferdinand said in announcing his decision on British broadcaster BT Sport.

Ferdinand was absent for the closing stages of his final season in football, with Queens Park Rangers, after his wife died on May 1 following a battle with cancer.

A tall, elegant defender with deceptive pace and a great reading of the game, Ferdinand became the most expensive English player when he joined United from Leeds for 29.1 million pounds in 2002. He started his professional career at West Ham in 1995.

Ferdinand made 454 appearances for United, where he won six Premier League titles, two League Cups, one Champions League and a Club World Cup. He forged one of Premier League’s great centre-back partnerships with Nemanja Vidic during his 12 years at Old Trafford.

Ferdinand broke the mould for English centre backs with his touch, athleticism and ability to play the ball out from the back.

“He was a great player, without a doubt the best centre half I ever played with,” former United teammate Paul Scholes said Saturday. “I would say for a time as well, he was the best centre half in the world. He was such a pleasure to play with and play in front of. To play in front of him, he made your job so easy.”

Ferdinand was released by United last summer and signed for QPR, where he struggled to hold down a regular place in a team that ended up getting relegated from the Premier League.

Ferdinand had injury problems in the latter years of his career — particularly with his back — and had to follow a strict training regime to keep on playing.

The low point of his career at United came in 2003 when he was banned for eight months after being found guilty of missing a drugs test.

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #21 on: June 24, 2015, 09:54:52 PM »
Cuauhtémoc Blanco

5 December 1992 - April 21, 2015

The 42 year old Blanco retired yesterday following participating in Puebla's 4-2 victory over Chivas to win the Copa Mx. He retires as one of two Mexican players to have scored at three different World Cups (1998, 2002 and 2010). Put into context, it should be noted that he was excluded from the 2006 WC squad due to personal difference with Ricardo Lavolpe.

In his exclusion from a WC squad he reminds me of Romario. In his personal disposition, reception from the fans and his ability to be controversial, he reminds me of Riquelme. In his retirement, he reminds us of the road explored by several former retiring players: politics. He is standing as a mayoral candidate in a municipality of fair importance.

More to follow.

Cuau obtained 39,861 votes (28.4%) standing as a candidate of the Social Democrats to be mayor (presidente municipal propietario or alcalde) of Cuernavaca. The PRI's candidate's vote total of 31,455 constituted Blanco's closest challenge. The PRI has launched a challenge to the electoral authority's confirmation of Blanco in the position, based on electoral irregularities. However, it appears that the extent of the irregularities, even if sustained as valid, would not have impacted the outcome as it stands.

The election occurred on June 6, and the formal confirmation was announced on Sunday, June 21.







Press conference held a few hours ago.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2015, 09:58:29 PM by asylumseeker »

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #22 on: July 15, 2015, 02:21:23 PM »
River Plate's Aimar announces retirement
FourFourTwo.com


River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo revealed Pablo Aimar was "suffering" before he retired on Tuesday. Former Argentina international Pablo Aimar has retired after failing to earn a spot in River Plate's squad for the semi-final stage of the Copa Libertadores. Aimar, who only made his playing return to boyhood club River Plate in May, managed two appearances with the Buenos Aires-based club in his second stint due to injuries, before calling time on his career on Tuesday.

After being told by coach Marcelo Gallardo that he would not be included in the extended squad to be used in the semi-finals and - potentially - final of the Copa Libertadores, Aimar decided to hang up his boots.

"Yesterday they advised me that I will not be on the list of the Copa [Libertadores], and I understand," the 35-year-old wrote in a letter to his team-mates. "I do not want to occupy a place that probably is for other guys. So I decided stop playing professionally."

Without Aimar, River defeated Guarani 2-0 in the first leg of their semi-final tie, and speaking after the match, Gallardo explained how tough the recent pre-season has been on the veteran midfielder. "He told me he was suffering, but he was trying to hide it behind desire and enthusiasm," the coach said.

Aimar ends his career with 83 league appearances for River across two stints - the first coming from 1996-2000.

The 52-time Argentina representative made his name in Europe with Valencia, winning two La Liga crowns and the 2004 UEFA Cup. Aimar then played with Real Zaragoza and Benfica before a shock move to Johor Darul Takzim in Malaysia in 2013.

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #23 on: July 16, 2015, 10:58:42 AM »
Pablo Aimar: the Argentinian wizard admired by Maradona and Messi
By Paul Wilson (The Guardian, UK).


The former international, who has retired aged 35, was an effortlessly creative No10 whose list of honours, including two La Liga titles and one Uefa Cup with Valencia, is seen as underwhelming for the ability he possessed.

Here is an obscure quiz question to which only Everton fans may know the answer. What do Pablo Aimar and Grant Holt have in common? Nothing whatsoever would be an entirely reasonable response, perhaps even the correct one, yet in those corners of the football world where people have a retentive memory for this type of thing it may be recalled that both scored treasurable, almost career-defining goals against Liverpool.

Career-defining in the sense that Holt’s goal, which earned Norwich City a point against post-Rafa Benítez Liverpool in 2011, was a thumping centre-forward’s header. Aimar’s was naturally much more intricate, when he finished a pinpoint passing move – actually Rubén Baraja deserved much of the credit – to give Valencia the lead in a 2002 Champions League meeting at the Mestalla subsequently judged to be the moment Liverpool recognised where their next manager would come from.

Aimar, who has retired at 35 after failing to overcome a series of injuries in his native Argentina with River Plate, was in his pomp with Valencia in 2002. He had played in the 2001 Champions League final whcih Héctor Cúper’s side lost on penalties to Bayern Munich but fully blossomed when Benítez took over at Valencia. Benítez was old-fashioned enough to recognise Aimar’s qualities as a traditional No10 and make the rest of his side fit in around him, allowing the player – called by some the wizard, others the clown (because he entertained with his tricks) but most hailed as some kind of football genius – the scope to express his delicate but quite definite gifts of touch, control and vision.

The quality of Aimar’s goals and assists for River Plate made it obvious he would end up in Europe, and when he joined Valencia for £13m in 2001, Diego Maradona, of whom more later, said he was the only player in the world he would pay to watch. Lionel Messi, no less, has revealed on more than one occasion that Aimar was the player he looked up to as a boy, infatuated with his apparently casual, almost magical ability. “One of the players most admired by Valencia fans,” was how the club reacted to news of his retirement, yet though sublime and successful, Aimar’s time at the pinnacle was relatively short.

With Benítez at the helm and Aimar pulling the attacking strings on the pitch Valencia won La Liga twice, in 2002 and 2004, and added the Uefa Cup with a victory over Marseille in Gothenburg before the manager had his famous argument using living room furniture as metaphors – “I asked for a sofa and they bought me a lamp” – and departed for Merseyside.

Maybe Benítez should have taken Aimar with him – though Anfield was happy enough with Xabi Alonso and Luis García – for the player was never quite the same again. Claudio Ranieri did not appear to trust him, frequently leaving him out of the side, and although the Italian was gone inside a year Valencia’s form had slumped and Aimar seemed to have lost a lot of his previous confidence. A move to Real Zaragoza could only be interpreted as a sign of desperation for a player so recently accustomed to finishing on top of the league, and within two seasons the club was relegated and Aimar’s time in Spain was effectively over. Five years with Benfica were to follow, but Aimar’s best years were all too clearly behind him and his name was inevitably added to the list of players who have been described as the new Maradona but failed to train on and fulfil their potential.

That is quite a long list, beginning with Ariel Ortega and including all sorts of players who neither resemble Maradona nor play in the same position, so even Juan Sebastián Verón was occasionally mentioned in dispatches. Finding the new Maradona is almost a sport in itself, or possibly a party game, like pinning the tail on the donkey. Even though Messi has emerged as unquestionably the best player Argentina has produced since the golden boy, the game is not over. People argue that Messi has achieved nothing of note with Argentina, which happens to be true, whereas Maradona led his country in some style to a glorious World Cup win.

Should that make a difference? Is it Messi’s fault that Argentina never seem to get their act together on the international stage these days? Do we have to wait for another World Cup win and possibly even a Hand of God goal before declaring the quest for a new Maradona officially over? There are no real rules in this game, no certainties. All that can be said is that with 52 caps and a successful club career Aimar was at least one of the more plausible contenders, along with Juan Román Riquelme, who retired in January.

It remains to be seen whether Messi and the present Argentina generation can finally end their wait for a major prize – even Maradona was critical of the Barcelona player following the latest Copa América disappointment against Chile – and some of the newer candidates for world acclaim such as Sergio Agüero, Ángel Di María and Ezequiel Lavezzi are still establishing themselves to a greater or lesser degree.

Aimar burned brightly for a short time in Europe, not setting the world on fire perhaps but impressing observers with his subtle impact, winning friends and matches with a game based on natural style and elegance of movement. He inspired genuine affection as well as admiration, not least in eminent judges like Maradona and Messi. He did not reach their standards of success, not everyone can, but like all truly talented players he made the game look easy and natural.

If one wanted to take a harsh view, it could be said his career ultimately failed to live up to its early promise, both the effortless, boyish charm he exuded at River Plate and the initial years of success with Valencia. But that would be wrong, a mistake akin to dismissing him as the latest failed Maradona. The fact that many refuse to accept Messi as the new Maradona shows how silly that game is. Aimar may have suffered his share of disappointments over the years but nothing about his career suggested failure.

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #24 on: July 17, 2015, 06:30:01 AM »
Germany's Celia Sasic retires at 27
Deutsche Welle


After a brilliant 2015 World Cup campaign and seemingly with many years ahead of her, the news that Celia Sasic won't be playing any more football comes as a shock to the football world.

I've decided to begin a new chapter in my life and call time on my professional football career," read Celia Sasic's statement on her Facebook page on Thursday afternoon, in news that has surprised many football fans.

“I was allowed to play in the Women's Bundesliga for eleven years, experienced unforgettable moments with the Women's national team for ten and a half years and was part of an unbelievable development. That makes me proud," continued Sasic, who has nevertheless set her sights on new things: “Football has been a part of my entire life and will continue to be. I want to finish my studies, sort out my career path, start a family and a lot more.”

Germany Women's head coach Silvia Neid was saddened to hear of Sasic's decision. "It's a real loss for us because Celia is major character who leaves big boots to fill. She was always a role model, on and off the pitch. We won important games because of her; she took on responsibility and completely fulfilled her role as a leading figure. From the bottom of my heart, I wish her all the best for the next step in her life.”

Born in Bonn, Celia Sasic began her career in the Women's Bundesliga in 2005, playing the majority of her games for Bad Neuenahr before she joined up with FFC Frankfurt in 2013, where she won the Champions League last season. Sasic finishes her career having scored 138 goals in 176 Bundesliga games.

In the January of the same year she began her Bundesliga career, Sasic also made her first appearance for Germany. Since then, Sasic has gone on to make 111 appearances, scoring 63 goals, as well as winning the 2009 and 2013 European Championships. The striker even collected the Golden Boot at the 2015 Women's World Cup and narrowly missed out on bronze after Germany lost to England in the third-place playoff game.

Sasic bids farewell to her passion
FIFA.com




“Football is my passion. It has always been part of my life and will continue to be,” leading German striker Celia Sasic said at the start of her announcement to her Facebook fans on Thursday. “Nevertheless, I’ve decided to begin a new chapter in my life and call time on my professional football career,” she continued. “I’m now looking forward to a range of new things in my life. I want to finish my studies, sort out my career path, start a family and much more.”

Sasic's decision to bid farewell to the sport will have been made all the more difficult given that the Bonn native has only recently cemented her place among the best players of her generation. Just two weeks ago, the forward, who has a French mother and Cameroonian father, was awarded the adidas Golden Boot for finishing the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ as leading goalscorer.

This summer’s tournament in North America otherwise proved to be an emotional rollercoaster for Sasic, who missed a penalty in Germany’s semi-final against USA when the score was still 0-0. “I feel rubbish”, she said after the 2-0 defeat. “I would have liked things to have worked out differently.” Silvia Neid’s side also lost the Match for Third Place against England to finish their campaign in a disappointing fourth place.

An end to fun times
As her World Cup strike partner Anja Mittag told FIFA.com after Germany’s opening match against Côte d’Ivoire in which both players netted hat-tricks, Sasic is extremely strong in the air and “a proper penalty-box predator”. “You can always chat with her,” the Paris Saint-Germain forward added. “She’s extremely intelligent, so you can talk about all kinds of interesting topics – it’s fun.”

That fun has now come to an end, as head coach Silvia Neid regretfully noted. “It’s a real loss for us because Celia is a major character who leaves big boots to fill,” she said in reaction to Sasic’s announcement. “I regret Celia’s decision, but she also understands that football isn’t everything in life and there always comes a moment when you have to focus on other priorities. She was always a role model both on and off the pitch. We won important games because of her; she took on responsibility and fulfilled her role as a leader perfectly.”

The striker began her international career in January 2005, just a few months before Neid took charge of the side and a year after the pair had joined forces to win the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Cup in Thailand. Since then, the 27-year-old has amassed 111 caps for her country, scoring 63 goals along the way. In addition to her triumphs at the 2009 and 2013 European Championships, Sasic was also part of Germany’s bronze medal-winning side at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Paying tribute to her former team-mate’s achievements, Melanie Behringer posted on Twitter: “We’ve worn the eagle on our shirts together for more than ten years. Thanks for that Celi and all the very best for the future.”

One last shot at a title
Sasic was prolific in front of goal for club and country alike, having ended the last two Bundesliga seasons as leading goalscorer. She celebrated her greatest success in May this year, winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League with 1. FFC Frankfurt and topping the goalscorers’ list in Europe’s most prestigious club competition. Prior to joining Frankfurt she spent nine years with Bad Neuenahr.

“It’s a remarkable decision by a remarkable woman,” said Frankfurt coach Siegfried Dietrich. “It takes an incredible amount of courage to step away from a situation where you’re the centre of attention and at the peak of your powers as a professional footballer. She could still have earned a fair amount of money in her career.”

Such considerations are no longer a priority for coach Milan Sasic’s daughter-in-law, whose maiden name was Okoyino da Mbabi before she married husband Marko in August 2013.

While there is no doubt the German star will be sorely missed by the footballing world both on and off the pitch, she still has a shot at one more title this summer despite hanging up her boots. The 27-year-old is one of 12 players – including five from Germany – shortlisted for the UEFA Best Women’s Player in Europe award. The winner will be crowned at the end of August, and a win for Sasic would be a fitting end to a remarkable career.

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #25 on: August 28, 2015, 07:17:14 PM »
Germany's Celia Sasic named UEFA Best Women’s Player in Europe
SkySports


Recently-retired Germany forward Celia Sasic has won the coveted UEFA Best Women’s Player in Europe award.

Sasic beat off competition from former FFC Frankfurt and Germany team-mate Dzsenifer Marozsan and Lyon midfielder Amandine Henry to land the award, which was voted for by a panel of 18 journalists.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/61XAvDsPzqA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/61XAvDsPzqA</a>

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Djibril Cissé breaks down in tears as he announces retirement from football
« Reply #26 on: October 20, 2015, 10:26:57 AM »
Djibril Cissé breaks down in tears as he announces retirement from football
theguardian.com


The former Liverpool and Queens Park Rangers striker Djibril Cissé broke down in tears as he announced his retirement from football on Monday, aged 34.

Cissé, who played for 12 different clubs and made 41 appearances for France, was without a club after leaving Bastia last season and brings the curtain down on a career that began with Auxerre in 1998.

After leaving Auxerre in 2004 Cissé spent five years with Liverpool where he won the Champions League and the FA Cup, netting 24 goals in all, before returning to England on loan at Sunderland in 2008 and to QPR in 2012.

Announcing his decision on French television, Cissé became tearful during a tribute from Guy Roux, his manager at Auxerre. “The body says stop, now it’s over,” Cissé told Canal+. “I can’t practise high-level football.”
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #27 on: October 20, 2015, 10:52:12 AM »
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« Last Edit: December 09, 2015, 04:04:30 AM by asylumseeker »

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #28 on: December 09, 2015, 03:45:30 AM »
Sao Paulo goalkeeping legend Rogerio Ceni retires after 23 seasons
ESPNFC


Sao Paulo legend Rogerio Ceni, a World Cup winner with Brazil and scorer of 131 goals in offical matches, has put an end to a glittering career after officially announcing his retirement on Sunday.

Ceni, 42, made his Sao Paulo debut in 1993 and went on to play more than 1,200 matches for the club -- scoring at a rate of almost a goal every 10 games over the course of a career that took in 18 major titles and spanned three decades. He had joined the club three years earlier from Sinop, at the age of 17.

The dead-ball specialist took over the No. 1 shirt in 1997 and by 2005 had scored 21 times, overtaking other famous  goal-scoring keepers such as Rene Higuita and Jose Luis Chilavert.

He spent almost his entire career at Sao Paulo, and won Copa Libertadores in 1992, 1993 and 2005 as well as two Intercontinental Cups (1992 and 1993) and a Club World Cup (2005), as well as 16 caps for his country.

In October 2014, Ceni's 590th win with Sao Paulo surpassed the world record for victories at a single club previously held by Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs.

Fellow 2002 World Cup winner Ronaldinho was among those who took time to congratulate Ceni via Twitter.

Ceni, who had previously planned to retire in December of last year, left the club after leading them into Copa Libertadores qualifying

Ceni was forced to miss Sunday's meeting with Goais due to injury, depriving fans of the chance to see him play, and perhaps even score, one final time.

An event to honour the iconic shot-stopper will take place at Sao Paulo's Morumbi Stadium on Friday, Dec. 11 with a match that will pit stars from the Sao Paulo side that won back-to-back Intercontinental Cups in 1992-93 against stars from the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup team.

Ronaldinho leads tributes to retiring goalkeeper Ceni
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Veteran Sao Paulo goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni has played his last match at the age of 42.

Ronaldinho has led the tributes to Sao Paulo's veteran goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni, who has played his last match for the club at the age of 42.

Ceni's extraordinary career took in 23 seasons in Brazil's Serie A and the one-club man racked up over 1,200 appearances for Sao Paulo and Brazil, for whom he won 16 caps.

But it was Ceni's incredible goalscoring that will ensure his name goes down in history, with the goalkeeper hitting 131 goals over the course of his long career, an average of over five strikes each season, to ensure he is football's most prolific goalkeeper.

Ronaldinho, who played in Brazil's 2002 World Cup-winning squad with Ceni, wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations for your career and your trajectory. You are an example of an athlete and person. Good luck in this new phase."

Ceni made his Sao Paulo debut in 1993 and has remained loyal to the club throughout his career, winning honours including three Brazilian league titles and two Copa Libertadores crowns.

The goalkeeper had planned to hang up his gloves at the end of last season but instead signed a one-year contract extension to play on for another year.

"This is my last year - not only for Sao Paulo, but as a professional footballer," he said when announcing his retirement in April 2014.

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Re: Thread in Honour of Retiring Players
« Reply #29 on: December 09, 2015, 03:52:12 AM »
Luca Toni plans to retire at end of season after Hellas Serie A 'survival'
By Ben Gladwell (ESPNFC).


World Cup winner Luca Toni has announced his intention to retire from professional football at the end of the season and hopes he can sign off by helping keep Hellas Verona in Serie A.

Toni, 38, has found the back of the net just once so far in an injury-blighted season which has reduced him to just seven appearances.

Having netted 22 and 20 in the past two seasons -- finishing as Serie A's joint-top scorer last season with Mauro Icardi -- the striker is considering whether the time has come to call it a day.

"I think that maybe the moment has come for me to quit, celebrating it with a great survival with Hellas," Toni told Sky Sport Italia following Hellas' 1-0 defeat at home to Empoli on Sunday, a result which leaves the club four points adrift at the bottom of Serie A and nine points from safety.

 

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