Germany's World Cup winner Boateng announces retirement
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Bayern Munich v VfB Stuttgart - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - March 20, 2021 Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng during the warm up before the match Pool via REUTERS/Andreas Gebert/File Photo
Former Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng, a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, announced his retirement from professional soccer late on Friday.
The 37-year-old, who made 76 appearances for Germany between 2009-18, spent 10 years at Bayern after joining from Manchester City in 2011, winning nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions League trophies.
"I played for a long time, for big clubs, for my country. I learned, won, lost, and grown through it all," Boateng said in a video uploaded to Instagram.
"Football has given me a lot, but now it's time to move on. Not because I have to, but because I'm ready. I'm grateful for everything, for the teams, the fans, the people who carried me. And above all, my family, my children. They were always there."
Boateng also played for Olympique Lyonnais, Salernitana and Hamburg SV, last featuring for Austrian side LASK Linz, where his contract was terminated by mutual consent last month.
In July last year, he was handed a suspended fine and a warning following a trial relating to domestic violence allegations by his former partner.
The mother of his twin daughters accused him of hurling a lamp at her which missed and then throwing a small box which injured her arm, before hitting her and pulling her hair. Boateng denied injuring his ex-girlfriend.
