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Football superstars Andres Iniesta and Paul Pogba have reacted on social media after former Barcelona star Samuel Umtiti announced his retirement. The 31-year-old has decided to call time on his playing career after struggling with severe knee injuries and failing to land a new team.
Umtiti announced his retirement on his official Instagram account with a video, which he captioned:
"After an intense career with ups and downs, the time has come to say goodbye...I gave my ALL with passion and regret NOTHING. I want to thank all the clubs, presidents, coaches and players I was able to stand with ❤️. Thank you @ol Thank you @fcbarcelona Thank you @losclive Thank you @uslecce Thank you @equipedefrance And thank you to all the supporters for your support ❤️."
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Umtiti began his professional career in 2012 with his boyhood club Olympique Lyon before joining Barcelona four years later. He also played for Lecce and Lille towards the latter part of his career.
The most notable moment of his career, however, was winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France. Umtiti featured in all but one game for Le Bleu at the tournament, playing every minute and scoring the winning goal in the semi-final against Belgium.
Upon announcing his retirement, many of his former teammates at both club and international level reacted by wishing him well in the comments section, including Iniesta and Pogba.
The Barcelona legend wrote:
"Samu! ❤️❤️🙌🙌."
Meanwhile, Pogba expressed sadness at the announcement. The AS Monaco star posted a crying face and heart emoji.
Other notable stars who reacted to the post are Sergi Roberto, Raphael Varane, Kurt Zouma, and Ansu Fati, amongst others. Overall, Umtiti made 393 career appearances, registering 11 goals and four assists.
Barcelona reacts to Samuel Umtiti's retirement post
Barcelona also paid tribute to their former defender by reacting to his retirement post. The club thanked the Frenchman for his services and wished him well in the future.
They wrote:
"Thank you, Sam! Good luck in this new stage 💙 ❤️"
Umtiti joined Barcelona in 2016, where he established himself as a key player at the club and enjoyed immense success. The Frenchman spent six seasons with La Blaugrana, registering two goals and an assist in 133 appearances. Additionally, he won seven major trophies with the club, including two league titles and three Copa del Reys.
Around 2018, Umtiti's knee problems surfaced, forcing him to miss a good number of games. He suffered recurring knee injuries in the following years, ultimately losing his spot as a regular at the club.
Umtiti joined Italian club Lecce on a season-long loan spell in the summer of 2022. His contract with Barca was mutually terminated the next summer, and he moved to French outfit Lille. However, he managed only 13 appearances in two seasons with the Ligue 1 side, missing out entirely on the 2024-25 season due to knee problems.
