Spanish international professional football player, Celta Vigo, Swansea City, Rayo Vallecano , Napoli and La Felgura striker , Miguel Perez Cuesta, announced his retirement as a player via letter written both in Spanish and English, scanned and then shared on his Twitter page.
At 31 years of age, Michu's retirement isn't entirely unexpected. Moreso, following a struggle with injury. But it drew us in as at the very end, Michu once again was both passionate and sublime. This time, to show us how deep football gets for a professional footballer.
But before we get into the good, bad and ugly of the beautiful game, the letter:
Speaking strictly as a fan, whenever there's talk about 'too much money in the game' I cringe as it often gets lost where the money to pay these salaries comes from. But as Marina Hyde argues in the Guardian, patronizing footballers for their high salaries is indeed lazy.
The real question is how well we as football fans, the professional football fraternity, remember that that footballers are human.
The fact that Michu in his farewell letter made implicit reference to this dehumanization of professional footballers by fans - by first unreservedley thanking them and then by unreservedly apologizing to his friend football - tells of how a career as a professional footballer is a perpetual vicious cycle of appeasing the gods of football : The fans.
A powerful force that can elevate and dump you at no warning.
In professional football, there can't be a bad day in the office. Least it's from star to sh*t in an 90 mins and often yoyo-ing between the two extremes multiple times within then 90.
All this, in spite of their expectation of sick offs, disability pay and a well padded retirement as part of their own contracts. But for a proffessioanl footballer? Well.....
Thank you. Gracias Michu ! And all the best!
At 31 years of age, Michu's retirement isn't entirely unexpected. Moreso, following a struggle with injury. But it drew us in as at the very end, Michu once again was both passionate and sublime. This time, to show us how deep football gets for a professional footballer.
But before we get into the good, bad and ugly of the beautiful game, the letter:
Dear Football,
According to medical reports, the current situation of my right ankle has come to a point where it has forced me to say goodbye to you as a professional football player today.
Even though I am saying farewell to you with much sorrow, I know that we will always be united. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the magical moments that you have given to me during this time. I feel privileged to have fulfilled a dream that is shared by so many of us since childhood. The dream of becoming a professional player in this sport.
Because of you, the public have given me an invaluable affection that I will never be able to repay. Indeed, I feel I have done nothing to deserve it all.
You led me to Vigo to play for Real Club Celta, to Madrid to play for Rayo Vallecano, to Wales to play for Swansea City, to Italy to play for SCC Napoli and to La Felgura to play for Union Popular de Langero. You even allowed me to represent my country by wearing the national team football shirt, sharing the dressing room with colleagues who were world champions. It is thanks to you that I have visited many wonderful countries and cities, but I am especially thankful for the people that I have met through you, whom I will keep in my heart my whole life.
I wish to make special mention to Real Oviedo because this club has taught me all that I have been able to do on the pitch. I also address a special thought to all its supporters around the world. Without them, I would never have been so happy throughout this journey. Each and every encouraging word has helped me to move forward when others might have given up .
Before I conclude, I would like to tell you that I consider myself an honest guy thanks to the education I received from my family and that I have always tried to do do my best for every club that you have led me to. I wholeheartedly apologize if, at any point, my acts may have upset any of your supporters, who love you madly as I do.
Endless thanks to you, my friend, I will always be in debt with you !
Always yours,
Miguel Perez Cuesta,
'Michu' .
- - - - - - END - - - - - -
La Liga, Swansea football team among other fans of the Spaniard ackmowledged this heartfelt goodbye paying homage to Michu in various ways.
Thanks for your football, @Michuoviedo! 💙🔵⚡️ https://t.co/DEgttNjwXC— LaLiga (@LaLiga) July 25, 2017
Classy! Swansea Football Team even made a YouTube video highlights of Michu's time in South Wales
We are sad to hear @Michuoviedo has retired from football...— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) July 16, 2017
📺 Thanks for some fantastic #Swans memories.https://t.co/ZYyadcmKD4
For most professional footballers, retirement happens via a press statement at best, at worst, negative media reports do the talking. Not judging them, but the fall from grace to grass, from the heights of stardom to ridicule, can be a hard one to take.
Having been feed on such fodder of terse statements and tabloid gossip, Michu's choice of announcement of retirement from professional football, as a player, is a like the ocean breeze. What's more? The viola` way it goes about the good, bad and ugly of football as a professional player.
Having been feed on such fodder of terse statements and tabloid gossip, Michu's choice of announcement of retirement from professional football, as a player, is a like the ocean breeze. What's more? The viola` way it goes about the good, bad and ugly of football as a professional player.
The Good
- Travel and the chance to experience different cultures and meet new interesting people.
- That professional football like education is an equalizer. For all the criticisms towards international football, one thing it does is give the chance for the very best to mix it up with guys who ply their trade locally or in the lower rungs of professional football. Think of Victor Wanayama when he meets up with his team mates who ply their trade in the Kenyan Premier League or Messi with his compatriots plying their trade in Argentina!
The bad & Ugly of professional football
Can you imagine being out of job at 31 years of age? Retired at 29, 25, 33 years of age? While it is easy to argue that the money that footballers earn guarantees them a life of luxury thereafter till death, a casual poke around reveals that it is not always that straight forward.
Speaking strictly as a fan, whenever there's talk about 'too much money in the game' I cringe as it often gets lost where the money to pay these salaries comes from. But as Marina Hyde argues in the Guardian, patronizing footballers for their high salaries is indeed lazy.
The real question is how well we as football fans, the professional football fraternity, remember that that footballers are human.
The fact that Michu in his farewell letter made implicit reference to this dehumanization of professional footballers by fans - by first unreservedley thanking them and then by unreservedly apologizing to his friend football - tells of how a career as a professional footballer is a perpetual vicious cycle of appeasing the gods of football : The fans.
A powerful force that can elevate and dump you at no warning.
In professional football, there can't be a bad day in the office. Least it's from star to sh*t in an 90 mins and often yoyo-ing between the two extremes multiple times within then 90.
All this, in spite of their expectation of sick offs, disability pay and a well padded retirement as part of their own contracts. But for a proffessioanl footballer? Well.....
Thank you. Gracias Michu ! And all the best!
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