Former Juventus star Mario Mandzukic retires from football

Former Juventus striker has retired from football aged 35.

Mandzukic was a free agent after leaving AC Milan at the end of the season. The Croatian target man racked up over 500 senior appearances during his 15-year career, enjoying spells at top European clubs including Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and, of course, Juventus.

Mandzukic joined Juve in a €19m deal back in 2015 after spending a year in the Spanish capital and went on to become an underrated and tactically pivotal part of the Bianconeri during the latter stages of Massimiliano Allegri’s first spell at the club.

Unfortunately, his time in Turin rather petered out following Allegri’s departure in 2019. He wasn’t given any sort of farewell despite his handy contributions during his four-year spell and had his contract terminated midway through the 2019/20 season.

Mandzukic won four Serie A titles, claimed three Coppa Italia crowns and scored 44 times in 162 appearances for the club; often performing a unique wide target man function for Allegri, who once labelled him an “extraordinary player”.

Instagram confirmation

The former Croatia international confirmed his retirement on his official Instagram page. The post, a picture of his first pair of football boots, was captioned in the style of a letter to his younger self.

“Dear little Mario,” Mandzukic began.

“While you put on these boots for the first time, you can’t even imagine what you will get to experience in football. You’ll score goals at the biggest stages and you’ll win the biggest trophies with the biggest clubs.”

Mandzukic certainly had a habit of turning up when it mattered most. The 35-year-old is just one of five players to score in a Champions League and World Cup final, and just one of three to score in a European Cup or Champions League final for two different teams. His acrobatic effort against Real Madrid in the 2017 final is one Juventus supporters won’t forget in a hurry.

“Proudly representing your nation, you will help write the history of Croatian sports,” he added.

The former Juve striker was also the scorer of, arguably, the most significant goal in his country’s history. His extra-time strike against England sent Croatia through to their first-ever major final at the 2018 World Cup.

He continued: “You’ll succeed because you’ll have good people around you – teammates, coaches, fans, and family, agent and friends who will always be there for you. You’ll be forever grateful to all of them!

“Above all, you’ll succeed because you’ll always give your best. At the end, that’s what you’ll be most proud of. You’ll sacrifice a lot, but you’ll know it was worth it because of all the amazing moments.

“You’ll recognize the moment to retire, to put these boots in a cabinet and you’ll have no regrets. Football will always be a part of your life, but you’ll look forward to a new chapter.

“Enjoy! Your big Mario.

“P.S. If you happen to play vs England in the World Cup, just be ready around 109th minute,” he wonderfully concluded.

Grazie Marione!