© EuroFootball.com
Former Argentinian national team midfielder Matias Almeyda decided to end his professional football career due to a lack of motivation, refusing to return to the club where he began - Buenos Aires' "River Plate".
The 31-year-old Argentine recently rejoiced in returning to his first club, but soon changed his mind and decided that he no longer had a strong desire to play and that it was time to hang up his football boots.
"I don't have the motivation I used to. Sometimes during training, I start thinking about something else, lose my focus, and sometimes it gets boring!" Almeyda said. "I decided to hang up my boots because I'm tired of football, and since I love 'River', I decided to step aside - I don't want to complain or feel uncomfortable."
Almeyda began his career in 1991 with "River Plate" and won the Libertadores Cup and two Argentine championships with the team. After five years, he moved to "Sevilla". There, his talent was noticed by Rome's "Lazio", with whom the player later triumphed in the Italian championship, won two national cups, and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
Later, the Argentine moved to "Parma" and helped the club win the Italian Cup in 2002, then played for "Inter" for two years, and represented the "Brescia" club for the last time. Almeyda played 41 matches for the Argentinian national team.
