Kaka, Frank Lampard, Philipp Lahm and Other Football Legends Who Retired in 2017

2017 marked the dawn of a golden era in football. Several soccer legends decided to hang up their boots this year. Brazilian great Kaka, Germany’s World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm, Italian footballing legend Andrea Pirlo to England’s champion player, Frank Lampard, all bid goodbye to the sports this year. Retirement is an emotional call for any player irrespective of the sports and so was the decision of these great footballers. It was a heart-rending moment not only for the sports personalities but also for their ardent passionate fans. Football is not just a game, but those 90 minutes is a roller-coaster ride with fans striking an emotional chord with their favourite footballers. In 2017, a number of all-time greats retired creating a huge void, which will be very difficult to fill. Here’s a look at the eight biggest names who retired from the game.

1. Kaká (Brazilian footballer)

The last footballer before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win Ballon d'Or, Kaka announced his retirement on December 17, 2017. Kaka turned down offers from his former clubs, Sao Paulo and AC Milan to retired from the sports. The Brazilian footballer is considered one of the best-attacking midfielders till injuries slowed him down. However, Kaka whose real name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite has almost all the glorious titles against his name. He was a part of the World Cup 2002 winning-squad. He raced Italian club, AC Milan to win the Champions League trophy in 2007 apart from the club titles. He has won the Ballon d'Or, the FIFA World Player of the Year, the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker awards.

2. Andrea Pirlo (Italian footballer)

The Mozart of modern football, Andrea Pirlo announced his retirement on October 8, 2017. The 38-year-old midfielder made the decision while representing New York City FC in their 2-0 Eastern Conference Semifinals second leg win over Columbus. There is no title which the Italian football great has not claimed. Pirlo won the World Cup 2006, the tournament in which he was named the Man of the Match thrice, including the Final. Apart from his stupendous national performance, the playmaker was a phenomenal asset playing for three of the Italian giants – Inter Mila, AC Milan and Juventus.

3. Francesco Totti (Italian footballer)

Roma legend called time on an epic 25-year career with the Italian club on July 17, 2017. Francesco Totti has made his debut as a 16-year-old in 1993 and made his retirement decision playing his 786th match. In this career spanning over a quarter of the century, Totti with 307 in all competitions remains the all-time leading goalscorer. The famed forward was quoted saying after his retirement, "I never wanted that game to end, that day to end."

4. Frank Lampard (English footballer)

It is still unbelievable to fathom Chelsea legend Frank Lampard’s retirement. The man retired from the game at the age of 38 on February 2, 2017 leaving behind a glorious legacy. During his 21-year career, Lampard won almost all club titles possible with The Blues. With 211 goals in 649 appearances, he remains the leading goal-scorer of Chelsea. He also led the side to 2012 Champions League, one of the high points of his career. In total, Frank Lampard has won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups. Not just a club hero, the English footballer was capped 106 times in an international career dating back to October 1999.

5. Philipp Lahm (German footballer)

Bayern Munich star Philipp Lahm drew curtains on football career on May 20, 2017, after making the final appearance in a 4–1 win over SC Freiburg. The most successful and expensive defender led Bayern to their fifth consecutive season title. Lahm has won eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League. He had already retired from the international format after leading Germany to World Cup 2014 victory. Unlike most footballers who believed in displaying aggression in their style, Philipp was all about class and precision. He remains one of the very few players to retire from the game without being handed over a red card!

There were several other names who bid adieu to their professional football career in 2017. Like Spanish and Bayern Munich player, Xabi Alonso who retired from the game same day as Bayern teammate Philipp Lahm. Dutch football star, Dirk Kuyt retired on May 17. The celebrated winger scored a hattrick to help Dutch football club, Feyenoord win their first title since 1999. Meanwhile, England’s record goalscorer, Wayne Rooney bowed out of international football in August. He held 119 caps and a record 53 goals for England. The former Manchester United great currently plays for Everton.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2017 08:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).