Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero has announced his retirement from football.
The 33-year-old Argentinian was recently discovered to have a heart defect and has been advised by doctors to end his playing career.
The former Atletico Madrid and Manchester City star made the announcement at a press conference in Barcelona on Wednesday.
“This conference is to announce I have decided to stop playing professiional football,” a tearful Aguero said.
“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. I made the decision 10 days ago after doing everything possible to have some hope of playing on. I am very proud for my career. I always dreamed of a professional career since the first time I touched a ball at five.
“I want to thank Atletico Madrid who took a chance on me when I was 18 and Manchester City, everyone knows what I feel about City and how well they treated me there.
“When a player plays, they always want to keep winnning more things, but I think I can be happy with the titles I won. Anyone can always do a bit more, but I think I did my best for me and my clubs. You play as a team not an individual and everything I did was for my club.”
Aguero admitted that it was a very tough moment for him, but he was left with no choice.
“I feel OK right now. Obviously the first two weeks were really difficult,” he added.
“When they did the first physical test on me, the medical staff told me there was a very big possibility I would not be able to continue playing.
“I am still processing everything. Then they called me to tell me it was definitive. Right now, I am OK, but I know it was difficult.”
Aguero’s Barcelona teammates and his manager at Manchester City Pep Guardiola were at Camp Nou for the announcement.
Aguero started his career in his native Argentina with Indepediente before joining Atletico Madrid in 2006.
He played 230 times and scored 100 goals for the Spanish club before leaving for Manchester City in 2011 in a record €40m deal.
Aguero left City in 2021 as a legend and record goalscorer after scoring 260 goals in 390 appearances for the English club.
He won the UEFA Europa League and Copa del Rey with Atletico, as well as five Premier League titles with Manchester City, including their first one in 2012 when he scored the dramatic title-winning goal.
He played only twice for Barcelona before collapsing on the pitch and eventually calling time on his glorious career.
