A career wrapped up before lunch
Cristian Tello is done. The Spanish winger announced on Monday morning that he has retired from professional football at 35. The news came via his social media accounts, with no warning and no farewell press conference.
His career ends at 512 professional matches and 91 goals. Six countries, one long tour: Spain, Portugal, Italy, the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. His final stop was Palm City FC in the UAE, a long way from the spotlight that first introduced him to the game.
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From La Masia to the Copa del Rey
Tello came through La Masia and broke into the Barcelona first team in the early 2010s, scoring 21 goals along the way. He won LaLiga there, the first major trophy of his career. The competition for places in Barca’s attack eventually pushed him out the door.
Porto took him next, then Fiorentina. Betis gave him his real reset: he lifted the Copa del Rey there and spent several full seasons in green and white. Sevilla followed, before he crossed the Atlantic to Los Angeles FC, where he added an MLS title to his haul. Spain called him up once, in 2013. Just the one cap, back when La Roja were packing Iniesta, Silva and Pedro into the front line.
A no-nonsense goodbye
The Barca academy product chose his words carefully. “After so many years, so many matches, so many dressing rooms, so much joy and also difficult moments, the time has come to end my professional football career,” he wrote. He added: “Football has given me everything. It has allowed me to make dreams come true that once seemed impossible.”
Tello thanked team-mates, coaches, staff and supporters, including the ones who gave him grief. He says he leaves “with the peace of mind of knowing I gave everything for this sport”. His electric pace and left-foot finish will be what people remember. The only question now is whether he stays in football in another role.
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