Manchester City legend, Sergio Aguero has confirmed his retirement from professional football. The decision though is a forced one owing to the medical issues he was diagnosed with when he complained of chest pain and breathing difficulties in a La-Liga Santander fixture for Barcelona against Alaves.
The Argentine announced his retirement on Wednesday alongside Barcelona president, Joan Laporta in a press conference.
An emotional Aguero said,
"“This press conference is to announce that I have 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. I made the decision 10 days ago after doing everything possible to have some hope of playing on. I am very proud of my career. I always dreamed of a professional career since the first time I touched the ball at five.“I want to thank Atletico Madrid, who took a chance on me when I was 18, and Manchester City — everyone knows how I feel about City and how they treated me there.”“I feel OK right now. The first two weeks were really difficult. When they did the first physical test on me, the medical staff told me that there was a very bad possibility I would not be able to continue playing.” I am still processing everything. Then they called to tell me it was definitive. Right now, I am OK, but I know it was difficult.”Source: ESPN."
Aguero, 33, was one of the best strikers to have donned the Manchester City colors, if not the best. His numbers are nothing short of sensational with 260 goals from 390 appearances for the Skyblues. He was awarded the English Golden boot during the 2014/15 season for his remarkable tally of 26 goals.
A true Manchester City fan though would never forget the last-minute screamer Sergio Aguero scored against Queens Park Rangers, which was decisive enough to hold the Cityzens on the brink of history with their first-ever Premier League title, thumping cross-city rivals, Manchester United in 2011-12 season.
Having said that, the Argentine Striker was a vital cog in City’s trophy-laden decade in which the club was able to clinch a record five Premier League titles, six Carabao Cup titles, and a solitary FA cup medal.
The 33-year-old bid farewell to his stellar career at the Etihad and arrived on a Bosman to FC Barcelona in the 2021 summer window. His Spanish return though couldn’t last long with his health conditions coming to the fore. Aguero could participate in only five Barcelona fixtures and his solitary goal came against the Los Blancos in a losing cause at the Camp Nou.
Sergio Aguero has been one heck of a striker and we would all have loved to see him carrying his legacy for a few more years but as a sports professional it’s always the health that is of utmost importance. On that note, we hope Aguero gets through his second assay of life as successfully as his first.