Ciro Immobile, who was part of Italy’s Euro 2020-winning team, said he is retiring at 36 in a video shared on Friday.
In the video, Immobile spoke to his teammates at Paris FC, a French Ligue 1 club he joined in January.
"It’s a very difficult moment for me because it’s the end of one of the greatest periods of my life. I loved this job with all my heart, but I want to be honest with myself about the current situation," he said.
"If I can no longer keep pushing when I’m in pain, when I’m training, if I can’t give my best, it’s hard," he added.
"It’s not an easy decision because you are incredible guys, a great family… but for me it’s time to spend time with my family. They followed me everywhere, I needed them for 17 years, and today they need me."
Immobile was a high-scoring player, netting 350 goals in 656 matches across various clubs.
He scored 207 goals in 340 matches for Lazio, where he played from 2016 to 2024, and became the club’s all-time leading scorer.
Immobile also had stints abroad, playing for Borussia Dortmund from 2014 to 2016, Sevilla in 2016, and Besiktas in Turkey.
He earned 57 international caps and was part of the Squadra Azzurra team that won the European championship in a tournament pushed to 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. Italy beat England in a penalty shootout at Wembley to take the title.
After suffering a serious thigh injury while in Italy, Immobile joined Paris FC in February for the rest of the season, with an option for another year.
He only managed to score two league goals for the newly promoted club owned by the LVMH luxury brands family.
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