Former Dortmund Flop and Lazio Legend Immobile Ends Career
Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- Italian striker Ciro Immobile, known for his prolific scoring for Lazio Rome, has announced the end of his football career at age 36.
- Immobile achieved legendary status at Lazio, becoming the club's all-time leading scorer with 207 goals, after a less successful stint at Borussia Dortmund.
- He cited a desire to spend more time with his family as the reason for his decision, which was announced via a video released by his last club, FC Paris.
Ciro Immobile, the record goalscorer for Lazio Rome and a former Borussia Dortmund player, has concluded his extensive football career. The 36-year-old Italian striker announced his retirement in a video shared by his most recent club, FC Paris.
Immobile's career saw him score a total of 350 goals in 656 matches for various clubs, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. He began his professional journey at Juventus Turin before moving to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2014. However, his time in Germany was brief and largely unsuccessful, with only three goals in 24 Bundesliga appearances, leading to his departure after just one season.
It is a difficult moment for me, because a big part of my life is ending. I love this sport, but I have to be honest with myself. It was not an easy decision, but for me it is time to spend time with my family.
He found significant success at Lazio Rome, where he played from 2016 until 2024. In 340 appearances for the club, Immobile netted 207 goals, cementing his status as Lazio's greatest goalscorer. His individual accolades include the European Golden Shoe in 2020 for scoring 36 league goals in 37 matches. Immobile was also part of the Italian national team that won the European Championship in 2020, scoring 17 goals in 57 international appearances. His major club honor with Lazio was the Italian Cup in 2019.
Do not be sad because of me, a new adventure begins for me now.
In his final season with FC Paris in Ligue 1, Immobile struggled to find form, scoring just two goals in 13 matches. Despite his limited impact at the French club, both FC Paris and Lazio Rome paid tribute to his career. FC Paris described him as "A great career, a legend of the game," while Lazio Rome posted on Instagram, "Thank you, Ciro, forever a legend."
Immobile stated that while it was a difficult decision, he needed to be honest with himself and that it was time to dedicate himself to his family. He encouraged fans not to be sad, as a new adventure was beginning for him.
Thank you, Ciro, forever a legend
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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