元チェルシーＭＦミケルが現役引退　３５歳

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】サッカー元ナイジェリア代表で、イングランド・プレミアリーグのチェルシーなどで活躍したＭＦジョン・オビ・ミケルが２７日、現役引退を発表した。（写真はサッカー元ナイジェリア代表で、イングランド・プレミアリーグのチェルシーなどで活躍したＭＦジョン・オビ・ミケル）
　３５歳のミケルはインスタグラムで「『どんな良いことにも終わりがある』ということわざがあるが、プロサッカー選手としての私のキャリアに関してはその日がきょうだ」と明かし、「２０年にわたるキャリアを振り返ってみて、成し遂げた全てのこと、そして何よりそれによって形成された人間性にとても満足している」とコメント。「常に応援してくれたファン」に感謝した。
　ミケルは２０１１－１２シーズンの欧州チャンピオンズリーグでチェルシーの初の欧州制覇に貢献するなど、数々の業績を残した。
　１０シーズン所属したチェルシーでは公式戦３７２試合に出場し、チャンピオンズリーグ制覇を果たしたほか、ＦＡカップを４度、プレミアリーグとフットボールリーグカップを２度、ヨーロッパリーグを１度制した。
　ナイジェリア代表ではキャプテンも務め、２００５～１９年に８９試合に出場し、６得点を記録。１３年のアフリカネーションズカップで優勝を経験した。代表からはチームの３位に貢献した２０１９年のネーションズカップ後に引退していた。
　また、オーバーエージとして参加した２０１６年のリオデジャネイロ五輪では、銅メダルを獲得した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/09/28-15:12）

Former Nigeria and Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel announced his retirement after a long and decorated career on Tuesday, saying all good things must come to an end.
I look back at the past 20 years of my career, and I must say that I am very satisfied with all that I was able to achieve and more importantly the human it has helped shape, the 35-year-old posted on his Instagram account.
Among his many achievements was helping Chelsea to their first Champions League title in 2012.
And his former club were quick to pay tribute to the player who joined them as a fresh-faced 19-year-old.
In a decade of service, he clocked up 372 appearances in a Chelsea shirt, winning the Champions League, two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Europa League and two League Cups.
Enjoy your retirement, John! said the Chelsea statement.
In his retirement post Mikel wrote: There is a saying that 'all good things must come to an end', and for my professional football career, that day is today.
He paid particular tribute to his ever-loyal fans.
You supported me through my highs and lows, even on days that I did not live up to your expectations. I say a big thank you, he told them.
The Nigeria captain called time on his international career after helping the Super Eagles to third place in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Mikel won 89 caps and scored six goals between 2005 and 2019 for his country, winning the AFCON in South Africa in 2013.
He also led Nigeria to a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil as one of the over-aged players.
After leaving Chelsea in 2017 he had a couple of seasons in China with Tianjin, returning to England with Championship side Middlesbrough in 2019.
He signed for Trabzonspor as a free agent at the end of that season, only to terminate his contract early with the Turkish outfit in March 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic erupted.
He returned for the 2020-21 season with Stoke, another Championship side, with his last port of call a stint at Kuwait SC.