Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain, who plays for MLS’s Inter Miami, announced that he will leave professional soccer at the end of this season.
“It is time to communicate a piece of news that I have been processing, analyzing and preparing for this decision for some time. The day has come to say goodbye to football,” said a very emotional Higuaín at a press conference that ended in tears.
‘El Pipita’, who made this decision about three or four months ago, said he felt privileged to have enjoyed football, with its good and not so good moments.
«I take wonderful moments in my head and in my heart. I made an unexpected race. I achieved more than I could ever imagine », he affirmed before dedicating some very special words to his wife and his daughter, whom he defined as the engine of his life.
«After 17 and a half years of professional career, I feel that football gave me a lot and that I leave having given everything of myself and more. Thank you very much to those who always trusted me », he added.
HIS STEP
The 34-year-old former Real Madrid player began his professional career at River Plate before making the leap to Europe at a very young age.
“There was a particular situation that was when my dad came into my room when I was sleeping and told me: ‘Gonzalo, Gonzalo, Real Madrid is going to buy you,'” he recalled.
«And I, sleeping, told him: ‘Don’t fuck with me, I’m not for these jokes.’ But the news was real. Real Madrid bought me when I was just 19 years old », he added.
Before entering a Madrid dressing room “full of stars”, his father gave him advice that would mark his career: “You have to have respect and admiration, but never fear. If not, you’re going to stay on the road.”
«It was seven years in the best team in history. So long when I was so young. It was a wonderful stage », he said about his time at the white club, for which he scored 121 goals.
With a great career that includes other outstanding teams such as Juventus, Napoli, Chelsea or Milan (he dedicated words of affection to all of them in his farewell), Higuaín was also a very important reference for the Argentine team, with whom he scored 31 goals in 75 matches.
Subsequently, the Argentine made his MLS debut in September 2020 in the final stretch of Inter Miami’s first season.
In this team he was also able to share a dressing room with his brother Fede Higuaín.
‘El Pipita’ has scored 14 goals this season with Inter Miami and is ending the regular season in extraordinary form as he has scored 12 goals in his last 14 games.
For this reason, the striker recognized that this last course at Inter Miami has been one of the sweetest stretches of his career.
“I am grateful to everyone because they allowed me to retire in the way I dreamed of: scoring goals and playing well,” he said.
Before hanging up his boots and moving away from football (for now he has no plans to continue being linked to professional sports from the bench or the offices), Higuaín will be key in the aspirations to play the ‘playoffs’ of Inter Miami, which this week has two key matches to certify their place in the MLS Cup qualifiers: Wednesday against Orlando City and Sunday against Montreal. EFE
