Football: Adrian Mutu announces retirement from activity

Romanian forward Adrian Mutu has announced his retirement from activity on Thursday, on his 36th birthday, according to private broadcaster Digi Sport. "I don't want to talk about football anymore, I'm retired from activity", Mutu said, upon refusing to join the live broadcast of a TV show.

Photo credit (c) AKEX MICSIK / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Furthermore, the Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport has announced on Thursday that Mutu will ultimately not return to Fiorentina, after discussing with coach Vincenzo Montella to be a part of the team's training sessions.

Mutu, who in the fall had missed a transfer to India, to FC Pune City, a move blocked by FIFA, put a stop to the rumors that spoke of a possible transfer to Guangzhou R&F, a Chinese team coached by Romanian Cosmin Contra.

Adrian Mutu has terminated his contract with Petrolul Ploiesti on September 26, 2014, after 9 months with the team that took him in following his departure from French side AC Ajaccio.

Mutu started his career at FC Arges Pitesti, playing there between 1996 and 1999 before transferring to Dinamo Bucharest (1999-2000) from where he made the big step to the Italian Serie A, at Internazionale Milano (2000), where he didn't manage to make many inroads. He later performed with Hellas Verona (2000-2002) and Parma (2002-2003), before being acquired in 2003 by Chelsea London, the latter team firing him a year later, however, following a positive cocaine test that also resulted in a 7-month ban from the English Football Association.

After the lifting of the ban, Mutu returned to the Serie A, signing a five-year contract with Juventus in January 2005, concluded early by transfer to Fiorentina, Mutu remaining with the Tuscan side until 2011. Later he played...