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Willy retires =(
Sagnol retires, ‘but my heart’s still here’
After the painful experience of announcing his enforced retirement from football due to injury, Willy Sagnol ended the day with a smile on his face. Prior to an FCB.tv interview, he watched footage of himself in action for Bayern – swerving his way past three opponents at the Allianz Arena, firing in his feared crosses from the right flank, even wildly celebrating a goal or two. Perhaps he also heard the fervent and drawn-out cries of “Willyyyyy” from the loyal fans on the south terrace, a paean of praise we will no longer hear at the stadium to the north of Munich.
“That’s the end. The pain is too great for me to continue playing. It’s something I have to accept,” the 31-year-old declared. Willy’s career has been cut short by persistent Achilles problems. “I’m devastated and it’s hard to take. I’d always dreamed it would end differently, and I’d have liked to keep playing for at least another few years,” he added.
Hoeneß regretful
After consulting a string of specialists the length and breadth of Europe in a bid to overcome an injury sustained in pre-season training and which later required surgery, Sagnol has been forced to admit defeat. “I’ve tried everything in recent weeks, but the doctors are unanimous: I can’t go on.” Simply walking is causing the player pain. As he is unable to exercise his official profession of footballer, Sagnol will now file for the status of ‘sports invalid’, required by both club and player for insurance and other technical reasons.
“We’re really sad that Willy has been forced to end his career,” a visibly downcast Uli Hoeneß commented as he bade farewell to the last member of the 2001 Champions League winning squad still at the club. “Willy was one of the best transfers we ever made,” the general manager continued, “he’s always been a model professional, a fine example to the younger players, and a standard-bearer around Europe for us. He’ll be extremely difficult to replace.”
One of the greats
Head coach Jürgen Klinsmann spoke of “a great loss for Bayern and the game of football. Willy was outstanding both as a player and a personality.” Speaking on behalf of the dressing room, Zé Roberto said he was “very sad. I’ll miss him a lot.” France head coach Raymond Domenech was “deeply moved”, describing the news as “dramatic. He was a great player.”
Sagnol, capped 58 times by his country and a runner-up at the 2006 World Cup, joined Bayern from AS Monaco in 2000. “I have lots of happy memories of Munich, and many friends here. Many folk I’ve met in the team and the head office mean a great deal to me. That’s what matters most,” Sagnol remarked.
Impressive medal haul
In his eight and a half seasons with Bayern, Willy assembled a medal collection to rival the very best, including the World Club Cup, Champions League, five Bundesliga titles, four DFB Cup triumphs, and the DFL League Cup three times. “I’ve won a lot more than I ever thought I would,” he smiled.
The man nicknamed ‘Le Chef’ by German media scored eight goals in a total of 276 competitive appearances for FCB, the last of them a 3-2 victory in Duisburg on Matchday 33 last term. He pulled on a Bayern shirt for the very last time in a friendly against Köln last July. Sagnol also provided 40 assists in 184 Bundesliga outings, a more than respectable figure for a defender.
Manager position beckons
There are other reasons why he will not be forgotten in a hurry. “He has opinions and principles,” reported Hoeneß, alluding to conversations between himself and the player where the topic was not confined to football, “but also extended to talking about life. The chemistry between us was always good.”
Hoeneß reckons he might yet see Willy “on the other side of the desk” as a general manager. “He’s a bright lad and perfectly capable of managing a club.” However, the Bayern board director recommended an initial period of “sitting back, reflecting and sorting priorities.” Sagnol intends exactly that, planning to take time out for himself and with his family. “It’s not clear what the future holds. Everything’s open at the moment,” he remarked, saying only that coaching was “not something I can see myself doing at the moment.”
Official farewell in May
The 31-year-old is likely to remain based in Munich at least until the end of the season, after which he and his family will relocate to the south of France. Hoeneß hopes the club is in a position to bid its loyal servant a worthy farewell at a championship celebration in May. “We’re confident enough to think we’ll be having a huge party in Munich at the end of May. That would be the appropriate time to wave Willy off through the big gates at the Allianz Arena,” the official commented.
Should that be the case, the cry of “Willyyyyy” would ring out at the Arena one last time. “I’ve had close on nine wonderful years at Bayern, and a very special relationship with the fans,” Sagnol reflected, “I’ll definitely be at the Allianz Arena a couple more times in the coming months.” Bayern and Sagnol have grown close over the years, as he confirmed in his final statement: “The Säbener Strasse was home to me. I’m leaving now, but my heart’s still here.”
amused
hyper
loved
Ayala (34 años), el hombre que más veces se puso la camiseta del seleccionado en la historia, con 115 presencias, ha sido uno de los símbolos del equipo argentino en los últimos años y su ausencia no pasará inadvertida. El Ratón fue titular en la mayoría de los partidos que afrontó la Argentina en los torneos más importantes. Estuvo en las Copas América de Uruguay 1995, Paraguay 1999, Perú 2004 y Venezuela 2007; en los Mundiales de Francia 1998, Corea-Japón 2002 (se lesionó en el calentamiento del primer partido, no pudo jugar y su ausencia se sintió) y Alemania 2006; y en los Juegos Olímpicos de Atlanta 1996 (medalla de plata) y Atenas 2004 (presea dorada). Sólo faltó en el certamen continental de Bolivia 1997. El jugador, que actualmente está en Zaragoza, de España, cumplió su última función albiceleste en la final de la Copa América ante Brasil, que la Argentina perdió por 3 a 0.
"En cualquier equipo, el N° 2 es importante, porque conforma la columna vertebral. Con la salida de Ayala, el seleccionado pierde experiencia y a un hombre muy respetado por sus compañeros. El reemplazante no está muy claro. Hay nombres, aunque ninguno firme. Ojalá que aparezca uno que se afiance", señaló Roberto Perfumo, un hombre que conoce bien el puesto y jugó los Mundiales de Inglaterra 1966 y Alemania 1974. "Desde hace ocho años que digo que no se vislumbra un reemplazante de Ayala y nunca se trabajó para conseguirlo. En 10 años, no se formó a nadie. Por ahí, de casualidad, encuentran a alguno. En Corea-Japón 2002, Ayala se lesionó y no había quién lo reemplazara y, así, terminó todo", fue más crítico Carlos Bilardo. "Sustituir a un jugador de ese calibre es muy difícil. Por suerte, la Argentina tiene buenos futbolistas y no lo veo como un problema", se suma Juan Simón, ex marcador central, que disputó el Mundial de Italia ?90.
Los especialistas consultados por LA NACION.com, casi todos ex marcadores centrales, dejaron su opinión. "De los que están ahora, tiene que jugar Demichelis por la experiencia y por estar en una Liga importante como la alemana. Me gusta, porque juega bien y sabe cabecear, algo necesario en el fútbol actual. Otro al que habría que darle una oportunidad en el futuro es a Paletta", considera Oscar Ruggeri, campeón en México 1986 y subcampeón en Italia 1990 y un hombre que también fue titular en los Estados Unidos 1994. Fernando Cáceres, compañero del Cabezón en la zaga central en aquella Copa del Mundo en territorio norteamericano en la que el DT era Basile, va por el mismo camino: "Demichelis demostró buenas cualidades. Cabecea bien, tiene buen físico y todas las fechas en Alemania se enfrenta con delanteros muy fuertes. Esperemos que la ausencia de Ayala no se sienta y que se encuentre lo más rápido posible a un reemplazante".
