Former world's most expensive defender Eliaquim Mangala retires
Eliaquim Mangala has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 35.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Author: Clément Bucco-Lechat
French central defender Eliaquim Mangala has officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 35.
Back in 2014, Mangala became the most expensive defender in the world when Manchester City signed him from Porto for approximately 45 million euros. Despite high expectations, he struggled to establish himself as a regular starter for the English club.
Throughout his career, the Frenchman played for several clubs including Porto, Valencia, Everton, and Saint-Etienne. At the international level, he earned 8 caps for the France national team and participated in the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016.
In total, Mangala secured 10 trophies during his career, including league titles in Belgium and Portugal, as well as the Premier League and English League Cup. He spent the final years of his career in less prominent leagues before deciding to hang up his boots.