"A difficult moment": Barcelona star Sergio Aguero retires from football due to heart condition
Barcelona and Argentina star striker Sergio Aguero on Wednesday (December 15) announced his retirement from football following a heart condition.
FollowBarcelona and Argentina star striker Sergio Aguero on Wednesday (December 15) announced his retirement following a heart condition. The Argentine forward, who moved to Camp Nou from Manchester City on a free transfer this summer, confirmed the heartbreaking decision to hang up his boots rather than risking his health to continue playing.
In a press conference at Camp Nou, Aguero said that he has decided to stop playing professional football. "It is a very difficult moment. The decision I have taken for my health; the problem I had a month and a half ago. I have been in good hands with the medical staff," the 33-year-old added.
Aguero stated that he took this decision ten days ago after doing everything possible to have some ray of hope of playing on. "I am very proud of my career. I always dreamed of a professional career since the first time I touched a ball at five," the star striker added.
The Argentine also thanked Atletico Madrid, who took a chance on him when I was 18, and Manchester City. "Everyone knows how I feel about City and how well they treated me there," Aguero stated.
Talking about what's in-store next, the Barcelona forward said he would leave with his head held high. "I don't know what awaits me in the next part of my life. But I know I have people who love me. I will always remember the amazing things," Aguero asserted.
After a 10-year-long career at Etihad Stadium, Aguero moved to Barcelona this year. However, due to a calf injury the star striker missed the start of the season at Camp Nou and ended up making only five appearances for the Spanish giant before a severe health scare ruled him out of action indefinitely.
After suffering from chest pain during Barcelona's 1-1 draw with Alaves in November, Aguero was admitted. The Argentine underwent a series of tests before the doctors diagnosed an irregular heartbeat to be the root cause of Aguero's discomfort. Had the Barcelona striker continued playing, he could have been at risk of facing a life-threatening episode similar to the one Denmark's Christian Eriksen suffered during Euro 2020.
Sergio Aguero began his professional football career at Independiente before signing up for Atletico in 2006. He scored 102 goals in five years in Spain before joining Manchester City in a deal worth around €40 million. At Manchester City, the star striker helped the club win their first Premier League title with a dramatic last-minute winner against Queens Park Rangers in 2011-12.
Aguero won 15 trophies in England, which included five league titles, and is Manchester City's record goalscorer with 260 goals in 390 appearances. His role at City was so instrumental that the club recently announced that he would be honoured with a statue outside Etihad Stadium alongside David Silva and Vincent Kompany.
For Argentina, Sergio Aguero has bagged 101 caps and scored 41 goals in total. He was part of the squad that lifted the Copa America title this year and runner-up at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
