After becoming a free agent, 39-year-old Samir Handanovic has declared his retirement from football.
The Slovenian goalkeeper failed to find a new squad after his contract expired on June 30 and made the decision to go in a different direction.
After 11 seasons with Inter, he was still without a contract, and he hoped to play on, but the most recent plans did not satisfy him, according to the II Giornale.
However, Samir will continue to live in Milan and will collaborate in the technical area at Inter.
He unquestionably merited a spot on the Nero-Azurri mythology’s Olympus. His ambition of winning the Scudetto as captain came true in the 2020–21 season after he endured the worst part of the previous era.
Despite the fact that he harshly criticises his recent performance in the Inter goal, this does not imply that he is not respected for the professional and honourable individual that he is.
His Statement:
“After 11 years, I don’t know if I can describe it all. I try, because I’m bitter and sad but at the same time happy that I made a dream come true for so long.
I’ll miss Inter, the San Siro stadium, the fans, and the thrill when the stadium pushes.
They teach you and leave a mark; they explain what passion and courage are and why you have to sacrifice.
every day to feel certain emotions. So many battles, challenges won and lost, disappointments and joys To me, being yourself matters more than anything in our world (soccer, I mean) of hypocrites. I tried to be a man before soccer.
I thank you all. The comrades of many years in black and blue—coaches, staff, doctors, physiotherapists, storekeepers—all the collaborators, presidents, and managers of these years were so different that I lived so deeply and with a sense of belonging so strong that I could not imagine it before.
I appreciate our store corner where they won and lost games and celebrated those won, although many will never understand.
I want to give a special thank you to the North Curve. In addition to our love for these colours, we have been blessed with a direct, practical, honest, and coherent way of seeing football that is not about words and chatting. The attitude. Because I have always been aware of the difference and the different respect that those who pay to judge and comment deserve, even when they make mistakes, and those who, in the different possible ways, are paid.
How proud I am to have worn this shirt and this band! I’ve experienced this privilege by always giving my best.
I’ll try to play a few more years; this is goodbye, but I will always be us.”
