Former Chelsea winger and German World Cup winner – André Horst Schürrle has announced his retirement from professional football today [July 17], aged just 29.
Speaking to Der Spiegel about why he’s retiring at such a relatively young age, the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner stated that he no longer want to face the loneliness and endless competition inherent in top flight football.
“You always have to play a certain role to survive in the business, otherwise you’ll lose your job and won’t get another one,” Schurrle told Der Spiegel magazine.
“Only performance on the pitch counts. Vulnerability and weakness shouldn’t exist at any time,” he added having come to the conclusion, “I don’t need any more applause”.
The former Chelsea attacker further reiterated that the Brazil 2014 World Cup is the best time of his life, having helped the German national team to lift the most iconic trophy in the history of football.
“It was an escape from the rut that you have at your club every day,” he said.
It was Schürrle’s extra-time cross to Mario Goetze that won Germany the 2014 FIFA World Cup, winning 1-0 win over Argentina.
The German midfielder, however, revealed that he “fell into a deep hole” playing under Jose Mourinho during his two years at Stamford Bridge [from 2013 until 2015].
“I didn’t want to play football any more. I was completely finished,”
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