Athletic Bilbao veteran Raul Garcia to retire at end of season
Athletic Bilbao veteran forward Raul Garcia will retire at the end of the season, the club announced on Monday.
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Garcia set to retire
Garcia, 37, won his first major trophy with the club in the Copa Del Rey final earlier in April.
He scored in the penalty shootout to help Athletic Bilbao win over Mallorca to claim their first Copa del Rey title since 1984.
“Raul Garcia, a true legend, has decided to leave football at the age of 37, a week after his greatest achievement at Athletic Club, the Copa,” the Bilbao said in a statement.
“He did his last great service to the team by scoring, with great precision, the first penalty in the shootout.”
Garcia couldn’t be happier on how he will cap off his illustrious football career.
“The decision did not depend on winning the title or not, but this is a beautiful culmination of my career,” said Garcia.
“I want people to feel proud that I have worn this shirt and defended the club’s values from day one. I have given my all, always thought of my teammates and the club.”
Garcia’s legacy
Garcia joined the Bilbao side from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2015.
This season, the experienced forward has one assist in 18 games across all competitions.
The Spanish international has scored 83 goals and 40 assists in a total of 356 appearances for Athletic.
Overall, Garcia has played 602 La Liga matches in his career.
