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Opinion
The Camp Nou was the location for Sergio Aguero’s teary farewell as he announced his retirement from professional football.
Aguero was forced to leave Barcelona’s La Liga game against Alaves on the 30th of October due to chest pains, which was eventually diagnosed as a heart condition. The decision was then made that Aguero would be unable to return to the game which had shaped him over the last 18 years due to the possible consequences it could have on his long-term health.
The news of his retirement reverberated around the world as sentiments began to flood in from former managers, teammates and rivals who had witnessed and experienced the genius of the man known as Kun.
He was destined to become one of the greatest players to come out of Argentina when he became the youngest player to make his debut in the Argentina Primera Division, deputising for Independiente aged 15. He went on to represent Independiente on 54 occasions before he moved to Atlético Madrid in 2006.
The move to Madrid signalled Aguero’s first step into European football and this was the time the world got to learn about his immense talent. He took some to settle in but exploded to life in the 2007-08 season where he scored 27 times in all competitions.
It was only going to be a matter of time before he would attract the attention of clubs throughout Europe, and it was Manchester City who were able to convince him to bring his talent to the north-west of England in 2011 after scoring 101 times for Atlético.
Manchester would become the home for Aguero for the next ten years as he terrorised defences and helped City become one of the modern-day super clubs. In his time at City, he won five Premier League titles, one FA Cup and six EFL cups, while also becoming the club’s greatest goal scorer with 260 goals.
He also passed Thierry Henry’s record of 175 goals for a foreign player in the English Premier League with his haul of 184.
For all these achievements, Aguero will always be remembered for that goal against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011-12 season. The strike, which has gone down in Premier League folklore, sealed City’s first title in 44 years.
Martin Tyler’s famous ‘Aguerooo’ call will live long in the memories of football fans (Photo by Matt McNulty – Manchester City/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
For all of Aguero’s goals and titles, his legacy and standing within the Premier League and European ootball has at times gone under the radar compared to many of his modern-day counterparts.
His happiness to let his football do the talking while not pursuing the appeal of wider commercial branding provides some explanation for a player whose records stand alongside the truly elite. Quietly spoken off the field, Aguero’s on-field exploits showcased a steely determination and competitiveness which allowed him to play at the very highest level for nearly two decades.
Aguero’s performances with the Argentinian national team never elevated to the levels he displayed at club football over his 15-year involvement. The constant spotlight on a certain Lionel Messi as well as the style of the team never seemed to be able to maximise the talents of Aguero.
His best performance at a World Cup came in Russia in 2018 where he registered his first ever World Cup goals, while he was a mostly unused substitute in Argentina’s 2021 Copa America triumph.
As the curtain is brought down on an extraordinary career, Aguero did have time to leave us with one more memory in the colours of Barcelona as his final goal came in the El Clásico against Real Madrid.
He ended his career with 427 goals, along with 20 major trophies. Former boss Pep Guardiola summed up Aguero’s impact on the world game: “Maradona conquered Italy, Messi did it in Spain and Aguero has done it in England.”
High praise, indeed.
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