Bastian Schweinsteiger retires from football
German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger has decided to hang up his boots.
Bastian Schweinsteiger has announced that he will be retiring from football, putting an end to an 18-year career as a professional footballer.
The 35-year-old won the World Cup with Germany in 2014 and has played for Bayern München, Manchester United and Chicago Fire during his illustrious career.
"Dear fans. The time has now come, and I will be finishing my active career at the end of this season. I would like to thank both, you and my teams Bayern München, Manchester United, Chicago Fire and Germany. You made this unbelievable time possible for me," Schweinsteiger wrote on Instagram and added:
"And of course, I would also like to thank my wife Ana Ivanovic and my family for their support. Saying goodbye as an active player makes me feel a little nostalgic, but I am also looking forward to the exciting challenges that await me soon. I will remain faithful to football. Many, many thanks for the time we spent together, I will always have a place for you in my heart! Yours, Basti."
Schweinsteiger made a total of 121 appearances for Germany, scoring 24 goals. He finished third at the World Cup with 'Die Mannschaft' in 2006 and 2010 before finally winning the tournament in 2014 after a 1-0 win over Argentina in the final. He was also part of the team that lost the Euro 2008 final to Spain.
The midfielder won the Bundesliga eight times, the DFB-Pokal seven times and the Champions League once with Bayern München. Later on, he lifted the FA Cup trophy with Manchester United.