© EuroFootball.com
Former Brazil national team and Munich striker Giovane Elber has decided to end his career as a professional footballer this week due to persistent ankle pain and the death of his father.
The 34-year-old player, who recently played for the Brazilian team "Cruzeiro" and still has a valid contract with the club, had previously stated that he would end his football career at the end of this year. The veteran struggled to recover from a knee injury he suffered in 2004 while playing for the multiple French champion "Lyon."
However, his personal tragedy and the poor performance of the "Cruzeiro" club, as well as their failure to reach the final of the "Copa Libertadores," led to the player ending his career earlier than expected.
"I think now is a great time to say enough," said the Brazilian. "I am grateful for what football has given to my life. I am convinced that football has given me more than I have given to football, but I have decided that it is time to 'hang up my boots.'"
The striker made a name for himself at the German "Stuttgart" team, where he scored 41 goals in 87 matches. Brazil attracted the attention of the German football giant Bayern Munich, which acquired the player in 1997.
During his six seasons with the Bavarian team, the striker faced opponents in 169 matches, scoring 92 goals and winning the German championship four times. In 2001, he also triumphed in the UEFA Champions League with Bayern.
In 2003, G. Elber was called up by the "Lyon" team, where he scored 11 goals in 30 matches and helped the team win the "Ligue 1" championship. However, a serious knee injury caused by cancer ended his time in Lyon, and he returned to Germany to play for the "Gladbach" team before finally returning to his homeland.
Since 2006, representing "Cruzeiro," the striker scored 18 goals in 40 matches. Meanwhile, Elber's career in the Brazil national team did not go as successfully as in Europe - he played in only 15 international matches for the "Selecao" and scored 7 goals during that time.
