Antonio Candreva hangs up his boots at age 38

After months without a club, Antonio Candreva has announced his decision to hang up his boots at age 38. The Italian winger, available on the market as a free agent, could not seal the deal for a new team and decided to quit playing professional football after spending the entirety of his career in Italy.

He began his career at Ternana, making various spells at Udinese, Livorno, Juventus, Parma and Cesena before landing at Lazio, where he became a leading figure. Candreva spent five seasons with the 'Biancocelesti', winning a historic Coppa Italia in 2012/13.

He then completed his move to Inter at age 29, scoring 18 goals and providing 28 assists during his four years with the 'Nerazzurri'. Sampdoria and Salernitana were the last clubs he made pit stops in, concluding his career with the Campania side facing relegation to Serie B.

Throughout his professional journey, Candreva has accumulated impressive numbers. He has registered 679 club appearances, with 103 goals and 100 assists. At the international level, he has played 54 matches for Italy, scoring 7 goals and providing 11 assists.

He bid farewell to the sport via a video shared on his social media platforms. He said: "Dear football, today is one of the most important days of my life. It has come time for us to part ways. I say goodbye to you from here, San Siro, “La Scala del Calcio”, where I played my last game.

"30 years ago, I began my journey with you. With you, I experienced joy, pain, sacrifice, victories and definetly plenty of emotions. I don't see this as a farewell, but rather a new starting point. Thank you football, see you soon."