Former Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli has revealed that he ‘feels reborn’ since retiring as a player.
Barzagli hung up his boots at the end of last season, and the 38-year-old admitted he no longer felt able to keep performing to the best of his ability.
“I decided to retire because I felt I’d given everything I had to give,” he told L’Ultimo Uomo.
“Physically I was not as good as I was in the past, but it’s not just that. Above all, I’d reached a mental limit.
Former Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli has revealed that he ‘feels reborn’ since retiring as a player.
Barzagli hung up his boots at the end of last season, and the 38-year-old admitted he no longer felt able to keep performing to the best of his ability.
“I decided to retire because I felt I’d given everything I had to give,” he told L’Ultimo Uomo.
“Physically I was not as good as I was in the past, but it’s not just that. Above all, I’d reached a mental limit.
“I felt I was no longer able to guarantee the levels of performance I was once able to, and it bothered me.
“I’ve often heard that once you’ve stopped playing, you can lose your adrenaline, but I honestly feel very good.
“I went through my entire career with such intensity that now, I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. I feel reborn as a person.
“I’ve been spending a lot of time with my family and I won’t hide that I’d have liked to stay with them when it was time to go on preseason camps.”