Former Chelsea & Barcelona Star Deco Announces Retirement

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Deco calls time on glorious playing career.

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Portuguese midfielder Deco has announced his retirement from football after a glorious 17-year playing career, according to Goal.com.

In a summer that has also seen Premier League legends such as David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Michael Owen and manager Sir Alex Ferguson call it a day, Deco is another of the world’s best players of the last ten years to call time on his career.

The 35-year-old has been back in his native Brazil with Fluminese for the last three seasons, after first making a name for himself as an influential part of Jose Mourinho’s Porto team that won the Champions League in 2004, scoring a fine goal against Monaco in the final.

Deco’s fine form that season saw him earn a big move to Barcelona, where he became part of the club’s mid-noughties revolution under Frank Rijkaard. Playing alongside club legends such as Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o, Deco won two La Liga titles and another Champions League medal during his time at the Nou Camp.

His form faded in his fourth year with the club, and he enjoyed a brief renaissance in the Premier League with Chelsea, though he was something of a luxury player after going past his peak, scoring just six goals in two seasons at Stamford Bridge.

A skillful and intelligent playmaker, Deco also won 75 caps for Portugal, representing them at four major tournaments between 2004 and 2010.

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