Serie A legend Fabio Quagliarella has announced his ‘forced’ retirement from football.
The 40-year-old striker netted 182 goals in 556 Serie A matches with Sampdoria, Udinese, Napoli, Torino and Juventus, but also played for Fiorentina, Chieti and Ascoli.
Overall, he netted 235 goals at a club level in his career, plus eight in 29 appearances with Italy’s national team.
Quagliarella’s contract with Sampdoria expired this past June and the Italian forward has now announced his retirement from football.
“I am forced to stop playing. I am a free agent now, but my physical shape is far from acceptable to return on the pitch. Now, I have time to understand which path I can take,” the 40-year-old told Sky Sport Italia.
Quagliarella scored 30 goals in 102 games with Juventus, winning three Serie A titles, and one Supercoppa Italia.
He scored the Serie A goal of the year twice, in 2009 and 2019 and became the league’s Capocannoniere in the 2018-19 campaign when he was included in the Serie A team of the season.
Quagliarella used to wear the No.27 in honour of Nicolò Galli a friend and youth academy teammate who wore the same No. and died in a road accident in 2001 aged 17. Galli was playing for Bologna and was the son of 1982 Italy World Cup winner Giovanni Galli.
Wonderful CF, will be much-missed. Congrats on a fab career.
He was probably one of the most underrated strikers in Italy. Very spectacular player. His goals were always a show! You will be missed, Fabio!