"I did everything possible" - Sergio Aguero announces retirement in tearful press conference
Sergio Aguero confirmed in a press conference that he will retire from professional football due to a heart condition. The Argentine striker last featured for Barcelona in the 1-1 draw against Alaves in late October and has been on the sidelines since after suffering from chest pains.
In an emotional press conference in front of his friends, family and Barcelona teammates, Aguero addressed the gathering and bid a tearful goodbye to the beautiful game.
Sergio Agüero announces in tears: “My health comes first. Medical staff have told me it’s best to stop playing and so I’m now leaving Barcelona and retiring from professional football”. 🔴 #Aguero #FCB
All the best, Kun! 👊🏻🇦🇷 https://t.co/I4unbyRQmX
"This conference is to communicate that I've decided to stop playing professional football. The decision I made has been taken due to the problem that I had a month and a half ago. I was in the good hands of the medical staff - they did their best and told me that the best thing would be to stop playing."
"10 days ago I made that decision and I want to tell everyone that I did everything possible to have some hope, but there wasn't very much that was possible."
"I'm very proud of the career I've had. I dreamt of playing footy since I was five and I never thought I'd get to Europe. I want to thank Atletico Madrid who took a bet on me when I was just 18 and also Manchester City - you all know how I feel about the club."
"I did my best there and I'm very grateful because they looked after me well. Everyone at Barcelona has been great to me as well, this is without a doubt one of the best teams in the world. Special thanks to the Argentinian national team, I loved every moment of it."
"I'm grateful to everyone who has come to see me, my family, people who have worked with me. Also to my teammates, most recently at Barcelona. I always did my best to help my teams win, I also give my thanks to my teammates who helped me grow. I leave with my head held high, I'm very happy."
Aguero retires as one of the 21st-century greats
Kun Aguero will undoubtedly go down as one of the greats of the game, having enjoyed a trophy-laden career spanning nearly 15 years. The diminutive striker enjoyed his most fruitful spell with Manchester City and won five Premier League trophies with the club, among other major honors.
We love you, Kun. 😭😭😭 https://t.co/88dtg9xKJd
It remains to be seen what life after professional football looks like for Aguero, but for now, the Argentine will continue to recover from his health condition and bask in the glory of his magnificent career.