Tehran Times - Iran international football midfielder Ashkan Dejagah will likely walk away from football since he is not going to return to Iran to commit his future to his club.
The Tractor skipper has not yet returned to Tabriz to participate at the team’s training and it seems he wants to retire from football.
The Iran league will resume on Wednesday and Dejagah’s absence in the domestic league means that he will most likely be dropped from Iran national football team.
The “Persian Leopards” are preparing for four must-win games in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Asian Qualifiers in October and November and Dragan Skocic will surely invite the well-prepared players.
Dejagah has been struggling with knee and groin injuries in the recent years and it can be a rational reason for him to retire from football.
He remained an unused substitute in the 2018 World Cup due to his right knee injury.
Tractor general manager Mirmasoum Sohrabi said on Monday Dejagah will not return to Tabriz due to coronavirus fears, however the Iranian player has recently published a picture in a restaurant in Berlin, Germany with his friends, while he has ignored coronavirus health protocols.
Dejagah, who will turn 34 on July 5, has played at the highest level of football in his 17-year career.
Winning Bundesliga title in 2009 with Wolfsburg and to lift trophy of the UEFA European U21 Football Championship in the same year as a player of Germany are the most memorable moments of his career.
He joined Fulham in 2012 and became only the third Iranian, after Andranik Teymourian and Karim Bagheri, to play in the Premier League.
Now, the iconic midfielder has reached the end of the rope and will likely retire since he is so tired.
Dejagah has achieved everything he's wanted. And it’s time to bid farewell to the sport.
The Iranian fans will not forget the Gentleman of football wheatear he retires from football or not.