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Former Manchester United star Nemanja Vidic retires
Injuries “took their toll” on Vidic, who was once one of the best defenders around.
Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Friday kicked off with a bit of relatively sad news for the sport: Nemanja Vidić, formerly of Manchester United and most recently Inter Milan, has announced his retirement. A 16-year professional career has come to its end, and at 34 years old Vidić has decided to move on to the next phase of his life.
At his peak, Vidić was one of the absolute best in the game at his position. The Serbian international joined Manchester United in January of 2006 after starting his career with teams in Serbia and Russia, and immediately made an impact. Manchester won the League Cup in his first half-season with the team, then Vidic anchored their defense to help lead them to three straight Premier League titles in the following seasons, the first of five overall EPL triumphs in his 8 1/2 years at Old Trafford. He also helped lead them to a Champions League title and two more League Cup wins, and won a heaping pile of personal awards from both the league and from FIFA.
A strong and confident defender with a wide skillset that made him able to shut down even the best of attackers, Vidić was widely admired for his skills even by many rivals. Eventually, however, a series of back injuries slowed him down and ultimately derailed his career, leaving him basically a shell of the dominant force he once was. He joined Inter Milan in 2014 but clearly wasn’t the same player any more, and they canceled his lucrative contract this month before his decision to hang up his boots.
It’s a sad end for such an influential player, but hopefully whatever Vidić does next with his life brings him just as much success and even more enjoyment than his playing days did.
In the news
Kevin De Bruyne’s knee injury will knock the Manchester City midfielder out for at least 10 weeks. (Guardian)
Mousa Dembele has signed a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur until 2019. (BBC)
Despite mounting pressure and reports that he tried to resign earlier this week, Louis Van Gaal says he wants to stay at Manchester United until 2017. (ESPN FC)
Inter Milan have signed Eder from Sampdoria, giving them this season’s second-leading scorer in Serie A. (Football Italia)
Real Madrid and adidas are reportedly close to signing the biggest kit-sponsorship deal in the sport’s history, potentially worth a staggering €140 million per season. (MARCA)
Pep Guardiola has denied rumors that his relationship with Bayern Munich players has deteriorated since it was revealed that he would leave the team at the end of the season. (ESPN FC)
You should be reading
Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter has opened up for the first time about how the loss of his daughter at birth in December has changed everything in his life, including becoming the driving force of his career. (Guardian)
With Clint Dempsey nearing the end of his career, Jeff Carlise looks at the USMNT player pool to try to find his replacement. (ESPN FC)
Fun with transfer rumors
The section in which nothing should be taken seriously. It’s rumor season, so this section will be expanded, and as the window rolls on, it will probably be bigger than the actual news section.
Liverpool have been told they must trigger Alex Teixeira’s €70 million release clause with Shakhtar Donetsk if they want to sign him. (Guardian)
Inter Milan have reportedly signed Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega to a pre-contract to join this summer when his contract expires. (Football Italia)
Newcastle have sold veteran defender Mike Williamson to Wolverhampton Wanderers after he briefly played there on loan earlier this season. (BBC)
Out-of-contract USMNT midfielder Jermaine Jones has called a contract offer from MLS and the New England Revolution a “joke.” (ESPN FC)
What to watch on Friday (click for listings, all times ET)
Bundesliga: Mainz 05 vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach (2:30 p.m.): Gladbach have a chance to close the gap on suddenly-struggling Hertha Berlin in third place with a win today. Mainz won’t go away quietly, though, as they’re just three points out of a European place themselves.
Ligue 1: Olympique Marseille vs. Lille (2:30 p.m.): A win would see Marseille pull just one point behind fourth-place Rennes and put them back in the face for France’s third Champion’s League spot, while Lille are desperately trying to claw further clear of the relegation zone.
FA Cup: Derby County vs. Manchester United (2:55 p.m.): With so much pressure on Manchester United right now and them playing away from Old Trafford, this seems like a match ripe for an upset -- especially against a second-division team as talented as Derby are.
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