Barcelona forward Sergio Aguero breaks down and announces retirement for health reasons
Barcelona, Dec 15: Fighting back tears, Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero announced his immediate retirement on Wednesday for health reasons.
The 33-year-old Argentina striker underwent heart tests after leaving the field, holding his chest, during Barcelona's match against Alaves in the Spanish league on October 30.
His condition has since been evaluated, and a sobbing Aguero said at a Camp Nou press conference attended by Barcelona players and board members, family and former colleagues that he had decided to stop playing.
"I'd like to stay here and keep helping my teammates," Aguero said, "but things happen for a reason."
Aguero said he made the decision 10 days ago. He was told after his first heart test that there was a big possibility he could not play again.
He took deep breaths and shook his head before making the announcement, then looked on in sadness as a highlight reel of his career highlights was shown on the screen.
Aguero is one of the world's most well-known players, having only joined Barcelona in the offseason after ending a 10-year stint at Manchester City during which he became a great of the English game.
Using his explosive movement and powerful shot, Aguero scored a club-record 260 goals for City and was a key player in the growth of the team as a major force in England and Europe. He had a record 12 hat tricks in his total haul of 184 Premier League goals, the most for an overseas player and the fourth most all-time.
He also scored arguably the Premier League's most famous goal, the dramatic stoppage-time winner against Queens Park Rangers that clinched the title for City on the final day of the 2011-12 season.
Aguero, who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2011, struggled with injuries in his final two seasons at City and missed the start of his first season at Barcelona because of fitness issues. He only played in five games for the Catalan club.
For Argentina, Aguero scored 41 times in 97 matches putting him third on the national team's all-time scoring list after making his senior team debut in 2006. That came between two world titles for Argentina's youth teams.
Aguero's only major title with Argentina came at this year's edition of the Copa America, in which he barely featured, and he also won the Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008.
Aguero was one of the youngest players to make his debut in Argentina's top division, at the age of 15 for Independiente. He had spoken about potentially finishing his career at the Buenos Aires club.
"It's a very difficult moment ... it's for my health."
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 15, 2021
— @aguerosergiokun pic.twitter.com/DYBjqqSQf2
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CPI(M) rebel Kunhikrishnan hopes for 5,000-vote win in Payyanur
Kannur (Kerala) (PTI): CPI(M) rebel candidate V Kunhikrishnan, who contested as a UDF-backed Independent from Payyanur here, on Saturday said he was hoping to win the Assembly election by a margin of 5,000 votes.
Kunhikrishnan was expelled from the CPI(M) earlier this year after raising allegations of corruption in the party’s martyrs’ fund against sitting MLA T I Madhusoodanan.
Speaking to a TV channel, Kunhikrishnan said he had announced his candidature as a mark of protest and not with expectations of victory.
However, he said the situation had changed drastically, with a strong undercurrent within CPI(M) votes favouring him.
"The undercurrent in CPI(M) votes cannot be measured. Now people are giving a response indicating victory with a margin of at least 5,000 votes," he said.
Payyanur is considered a CPI(M) stronghold, and a defeat for Madhusoodanan there would be a major setback for the party.
On political violence in Payyanur, Kunhikrishnan said he had been facing it since filing his nomination.
"The people leading this violence should think about how long they can continue it. It is the police which has to take the initiative to stop this violence as part of maintaining law and order. But the police are not intervening at the required level," he said.
Regarding his political future, Kunhikrishnan said efforts were underway to strengthen Left groups, and discussions were being held across Kerala in that regard.
"After discussing with others, a decision will be taken," he said.
Kunhikrishnan is among six former CPI(M) leaders who either exited the party or were suspended before contesting for the UDF in the April 9 Assembly elections.
Elections to the 140-seat Kerala Assembly were held on April 9, and the counting of votes will be held on May 4.
