Published 11:00 IST, October 9th 2019
Bastian Schweinsteiger: A look at the German World Cup winner's career
The 2014 World Cup winner and former Bayern Munich star Bastian Schweinsteiger has announced retirement from football after an illustrious career. Read more
Former Germany, Bayern Munich and Manchester United superstar Bastian Schweinsteiger officially announced his retirement from professional football after a trophy-laden 18-year career. The 2014 World Cup winner announced the news on Tuesday through a social media post. “Dear fans, the time has now come, and I will be finishing my career at the end of this season,” wrote the 35-year old midfielder.
Excerpts from his Twitter post
“I would like to thank both you, my teams FC Bayern, Manchester United, Chicago Fire and the German national team. You made this unbelievable time possible for me! “And of course, I would like to thank my wife Ana Ivanovic and my family for their support. Saying goodbye as an active player makes me feel a little nostalgic, but I am also looking forward to the exciting challenges that await me soon. I will remain faithful to football.”
A look at Basti's glorious career
Schweinsteiger dropped the news after his MLS team, Chicago Fire, failed to make this season’s playoffs. Schweinsteiger had the best run of his club career at Bayern Munich where he made 500 appearances. Schweinsteiger bagged eight Bundesliga titles, seven German Cup and a Champions League trophy in 2013. He made 121 appearances for the German national team which makes him country's fourth-most capped player of all time.
Schweinsteiger moved to the Premier League in 2015 and became the first German to feature in Manchester United's A team. Basti won the FA Cup and the League Cup with United.
The midfielder joined the MLS team Chicago Fire on March 2017. In his debut season, Schweinsteiger carried his side to their first MLS playoff since 2012 and was named Chicago Fire's player of the season in 2018. He played his last game for the Fire on Sunday, a 5-2 victory away to Orlando City.
Schweinsteiger's career in numbers:
Updated 14:49 IST, October 9th 2019