Photo: Italian Journalist, Fabrizio Romano
By Landing Ceesay
The Manchester City and Argentina Legend Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo (Kun Agüero) has retired from football due to heart complications.
The 33-year-old was hospitalised after experiencing chest pains and breathing difficulties during Barcelona’s 1-1 draw with Alaves in October and was subsequently ruled out of action for three months following a cardiac arrhythmia diagnosis.
While addressing the media about his future, Aguero said his health comes first and his doctors advised him to quit football.
“My health comes first. Medical staff have told me it’s best to stop playing and so I’m now leaving Barça and retiring from football.
“I will leave now with my head held high, I’m happy. I don’t know what awaits me in the next life. I know there’s a lot of people that love me, and want the best for me,” Kun Aguero said.
Agüero or Kun Agüero, is an Argentine retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He wore “Kun” on his shirt, a childhood nickname based on the title character from the cartoon Kum-Kum.
He signed for the Premier League club, Manchester City in 2011 in a transfer for a reported fee of £35 million. During his 10 years at the club, he won five league titles, including a last-minute winner he gave the club in the final league game of his debut season, which won the club first league title in 44 years.
At the international level, Agüero represented the Argentina under 20 team and won the 2005 and 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cups. He played at the 2008 Olympics and scored two goals in the semi-final against Brazil as Argentina won gold.
Agüero is Argentina’s third-highest all-time top goal-scorer and has earned over 100 caps, representing the senior team at three FIFA World Cups (2010, 2014 and 2018) and five Copa America in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021.
On 31 May 2021, Agüero agreed to sign for La Liga club Barcelona a two-year contract which started on 1 July, with a buyout clause set at €100 million, taking a 50% pay-cut.
On 17 October, he made his debut from the bench in a 3–1 home win against Valencia. In his first El-classico appearance on 24 October, Agüero came on as a substitute in the 77th minute, scoring his first goal for the club in the last minute of play of a 2–1 home defeat to Real Madrid. Seven days later, he suffered a cardiac arrhythmia during an eventual 1–1 home draw against Alavés, ruling him out of action for three months.
Agüero played 786 matches, scoring 426 goals and assisting 118 goals in his playing career, both at club and country level.
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