BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain announced his retirement from international football on Thursday (March 28), telling critics "I gave everything" for the Albiceleste.
He says he can devote more time to his family and more focus on his English Premier League club Chelsea.
The 31-year-old French-born forward stands down from national duty with 75 caps, the first coming in 2009 when he marked his debut in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Peru with a goal.
Last year's 2-1 win over Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup was to be his last appearance for his country. He leaves with a 35-goal haul.
Higuain exits the international stage having lost out on World Cup glory in 2014 when Argentina fell to Germany in the final and defeats in the finals of both the 2015 and 2016 Copa America.
Despite coming so close to a major trophy he bows out with his head held high.
"To play in three finals and lose them is not a failure," he told TV Fox Sports Argentina.
And he had a message for critics of his performances playing for Argentina.
"People remember your mistakes, not what you've accomplished.
"Those who attacked will have almost certainly cried for joy when I scored against Belgium to put us through to the semi-finals (at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil).
"That's football."
Â
He added: "Obviously when the criticism turns nasty it hurts everybody. I gave everything to the team. My family has suffered more than me."
While his international trophy chest may be bare, at club level he won two Spanish La Liga titles with Real Madrid in 2007 and 2008 and he helped Juventus to be crowned Italian champions in 2017 and 2018.
Since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Juventus on loan in January, he has scored just three times in 10 appearances.
The 4 Kinds of Professional Respect: Which Ones Have to Be Earned and Shown? manipulability and forms of respect, the rest being at best a bonus or at worst
What is the adjective for respect? - WordHippo
The 25 Best Space Movies, Ranked Please join us at The Ringer as we celebrate and explore the cultural resonance and science of space all week long But what is most lost about Avatar's
Lost in Space | Lost in Space Wiki - lostinspace.fandom.com
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 12, 2019, with the headline 'No pats on backs for City after rout: Pep'. Print Edition | Subscribe.
No pats on backs for City after rout: Pep - theworldnews.net
Norway is bordered by Finland and Russia to the north-east, and the Skagerrak strait to the south, with Denmark on the other side. Norway has an extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea. Harald V of the House of Glücksburg is the current King of Norway.
Citizenship - nyinorge.no
Mauricio Pochettino said Tottenham paid the price for thinking their match against Wolves was won in the first half, as they then couldn't raise the "energy" necessary to win the game, after
Spurs press conference live: Pochettino on - football.london
Qatar will not take a decision on whether to expand its 2022 World Cup to 48 teams from 32 until it has seen the details of a feasibility study from FIFA, an official from the country's World Cup
48-team World Cup: Qatar won't decide until it's seen FIFA
Kean subject to racist abuse, Juve teammate Bonucci says he incited crowd Emmeline Moore 03 Apr 2019 12:36 Despite scoring for Juventus, Moise Kean (centre) had a frustrating night in Cagliari as
Leonardo Bonucci Issues Tone-Deaf '50-50 Blame' Reaction to
Singapore Premier League outfit Warriors FC, the former champions who are currently riling at the bottom of the table, have been barred from signing international players by the country's Ministry
Singapore Premier League - Live Soccer TV
(Reuters) - Crystal Palace all but banished any lingering relegation fears as captain Luka Milivojevic fired home a late penalty to secure a 1-0 Premier League victory at Newcastle on Saturday.
Soccer: Milivojevic penalty seals Palace win at Newcastle
Football: Liverpool's players must fight for the Premier League title with every fibre of their being, says Klopp LIVERPOOL (REUTERS) - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his players to give "every fibre of their bodies" in the battle for the Premier League title.
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool will fight with every fibre for
A woman has accused Brazil soccer star Neymar of raping her in Paris, according to a Sao Paulo police report seen by Reuters. Neymar's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Globo website, which first reported the news, said that a representative for Neymar declined to comment, awaiting details of the allegations.
Brazil soccer star Neymar accused of committing rape in Paris
Qatar punished unwelcoming hosts United Arab Emirates 4-0 in a politically charged clash marred by disgraceful behavior from shoe-throwing fans Tuesday to reach their first Asian Cup final. The Qataris, whose national anthem was drowned by boos before the game, face Japan in Friday's final after
AFC Asian Cup 2019: Qatar reach final after routing UAE 4-0
0 comments:
Post a Comment