Aritz Aduriz has officially declared his retirement from football after being advised to undergo hip replacement surgery, via Twitter.
“The time has come,” Aduriz’s letter began, which he posted on social media, in a Twitter post. “Many times, I have said that football will leave you before you leave it.
He went on, “Yesterday, the doctors told me to go to see the surgeon, sooner rather than later, to get a prosthetic to replace my hip and to try and go about my everyday life, as normally as possible. Unfortunately, my body has said ‘enough’.
“I can’t help my team-mates the way I would like to, nor the way that they deserve. That is the life of a professional athlete. Simple, very simple.”
The 39-year-old was set to hang up his boots at the end of the 2019/20 season, but the coronavirus pandemic put that match on hold:
“Unfortunately, we are living through situations much more grim and painful; the pandemic that we are suffering from has left us with irreparable damage and we have to keep fighting it, together.
“Therefore, I don’t want you to worry about me, this is just an anecdote.
The striker was going to have a dream farewell as the Athletic Club was going to face Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final. But now:
“Let’s forget about the finals we dreamt about, because we will have time to say goodbye. And yes, the time has come to say goodbye, and this is how the road ends for me – unforgettable and marvellous, from beginning to end.
“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”
