Football Food For Thought / Alsy / 05 June 2009 / Leave a comment

Pavel Nedved, Paolo Maldini and Luis Figo have all decided to call it a day after long and illustrious careers spent winning trophies and entertaining fans. Alister Morgan looks at their reasons and rounds up the other players that called it a day this summer and will be sorely missed.

Perhaps the global recession is to blame for so few retirements in European football this summer? Fast cars, faster women and sharp lawyers are still as pricey as ever so perhaps even footballers have to stretch out their careers in uncertain times.

In March Claude Makelele was discussing retirement at the end of the 2008/9 season. The PSG captain has about every football trophy and a superb trophy wife to boot. Aged 36 he's got plenty of cash (he did play for Chelsea after all) and reportedly told Spanish publication 'AS', "I will retire this year". It all seemed to fit, (especially with a new dirt-dishing auto-biography) but now Makelele's camp are talking up his book and taking down his retirement. Another Ligue 1 legend is considering retirement in Lyon. Juninho has been a major force in European football for years but has been intimating that he will soon retire. Latest reports suggest that he will play one more Ligue 1 season before quitting the game.

At their best both players were dominant in differing midfield roles. Juninho's passing range and technical ability compare favourably with any elite player while his dead-ball prowess is simply breathtaking. Makelele is far less spectacular, rarely crossing into opposition territory but he was one of the most useful and consistent players to have graced European football over the last ten or so years. Moreover, Makelele's sense of defensive timing and positional awareness was second to none. He always looked after the ball and, best of all, never seemed hurried - a measure of his influence is illustrated by frequent references to the "Makelele role". If either player retires soon they will not be quickly forgotten.

In the Premier League Martin Laursen was forced to retire with a persistent knee injury. Only 31, the towering Dane had blossomed into one of the leagues's most formidable defenders also scoring 8 goals for Aston Villa in 84 appearances. At the end of last season Ryan Giggs was widely predicted to retire. He sensibly decided to play on a bit longer... a decision that turned out rather well.

In La Liga veteran Sevilla defender Javi Navarro retired aged 35. This top defender seemingly improving with age. Navarro only earned his first national cap two years ago but a persistent knee problem prematurely ended his Indian summer career. Luis Figo's retirement will also be keenly felt in Spain. He wasn't Spanish and ended his career in Italy but his performances at Barcelona and Madrid (and how he switched between them) was truly legendary.

Aged 36 Figo had offers to continue his career but when you have a CV that reads; Sporting, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Internazionale you can sit on the sofa and eat pies with your head held high. His two-footed drives into the box were packed with pace and no little skill and his finishing was simply breathtaking. A true 'Galactico'!

Internazionale will miss certainly miss Figo but not as much as a couple of other Serie A legends calling 'time' on their careers. AC Milan's peerless defender, Paulo Maldini, ended his career aged-40 while Pavel Nedved concluded a 13-year affair with Italian football aged 36.

Few can match Maldini's medals for Milan but Nedved was certainly an equal in his honest approach to the game. The Czech made his name at Lazio but found a stage to match his talent at Juventus - few attacking midfielders displayed such craft and Juventus are still trying to lure him back. It's unlikely that Maldini will change his mind despite no discernable dip in form in recent years.

There are some fine players set to leave the footballing stage this summer but Maldini will be missed the most. Put simply his football talent and durability was surpassed only by his personable character. 'Elegant' sums him up on and off the pitch but who will you miss themost and why?