French footballer Samuel Umtiti, world champion in 2018 with the French national team, has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 31, after a career marked by knee injuries. Umtiti, who also contributed to Barcelona winning two LaLiga titles and three Copa del Rey titles, had been without a team since leaving Lille of Ligue 1 at the end of last season.
The defender played 31 matches with the French national team and participated in the 2016 European Championship. The player scored four goals, including the one that gave the 1-0 victory over Belgium in the 2018 World Cup semi-final.After having lived an intense career with its ups and downs, the time has come to say goodbye. I gave everything with passion and I regret nothing.
Samuel Umtiti
Umtiti is the fifth 2018 world champion to announce his retirement, after Blaise Matuidi, Adil Rami, Raphaël Varane and Steve Mandanda. The footballer began his professional career at Lyon, where he won the Coupe de France in 2012. However, in recent years, injuries limited his participation, with few appearances for Lille.Sam, who joined the French national team for Euro 2016, played an important role in our conquest of the World Cup title in Russia. Everyone will remember his header that allowed us to beat Belgium and qualify for the final. I also remember his partnership with Raphaël, his defensive solidity, his fighting spirit. His knee was already causing him pain, but he endured with exemplary courage until the end.
Didier Deschamps
Instagram post description: “After having lived an intense career with its ups and downs, the time has come to say goodbye. I gave it my all with passion and I don’t regret anything.”I tried everything in Lille to come back. Few people know how hard I tried, but my body couldn’t keep up.
Samuel Umtiti
