Official: Ex-Sporting training ground invader retires at 32 | OneFootball

Cristiano Piccini, former Sporting player, announced this Sunday, September 7, the end of his football career. On social media, the 32-year-old right-back shared a long farewell message, stating that successive injuries forced him to make the decision.

"Dear Cristiano, I write to you from afar. I write to you from locker rooms that smell of glory and tears, from packed stadiums that made your legs tremble, and from hotel rooms where you felt lonelier than ever. Do you remember when you used to kick the wall behind your house, convinced that just dreaming big was enough to reach the top? You had nothing but a ball and a heart that beat for football. You didn't know how hard it would be. And even so, you never gave up. Bravo," it reads.

The Italian player recalled several difficult moments in his career: "Above all, you will learn that life is much more than a career. You will discover true love. You will become the father of two children who will look at you the way you looked at your idols. And you will understand that the greatest achievement is not a trophy, but rather coming home at night and hearing that," he added.

Rafael Leão and Bruno Fernandes – who spoke about his future – commented on the post and showed appreciation for the player with whom they shared a locker room at Alvalade. In addition to Sporting, Piccini played for Fiorentina, Carrarese, Spezia, Livorno, Betis, Valencia, Atalanta, Red Star, Magdeburg, Sampdoria, Atlético San Luis, and Yverdon.

Wearing the green and white stripes, the right-back played 40 matches in Leão's only season at the club. After a year wearing Sporting's shirt, the full-back moved to Spanish side Valencia for 8 million euros, just a few months after the invasion of the Alcochete Academy.

Check out the best moments of Cristiano Piccini:

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.