Overview

• He announced the decision on Instagram on 21 August, concluding a career that featured over 150 Serie A appearances for Udinese, Sampdoria and Cagliari and a spell with Getafe.
• He said a complete ankle ligament rupture left him in constant pain despite months of rehabilitation, making a return to professional play unfeasible.
• He noted that spending more time with his young son David and relocating to Prague were central to his choice.
• He will move straight into coaching as the under-17 manager at Dukla Prague, marking an immediate shift into youth development.
• He drew worldwide attention in February 2023 by coming out publicly, becoming a rare active male senior international associated with Serie A to do so.