A former Barcelona midfielder has officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 36.
Supporters from his Blaugrana days remember him as a set-piece maestro whose elegance in midfield lit up Camp Nou during a challenging period.
That player is Miralem Pjanić, the Bosnian playmaker whose journey took him from modest beginnings in Luxembourg to the pinnacle of European football.
The news broke via an emotional Instagram reel that has since gone viral, showing the player bidding farewell to the beautiful game with gratitude toward clubs, teammates, and fans worldwide.
Signed by Barcelona from Juventus in 2020 for €60 million as part of the Arthur Melo swap, Pjanić arrived with a reputation as one of Serie A’s premier deep-lying orchestrators—racking up five Serie A titles, two Copas Italia, and a Champions League final appearance.
Yet his Camp Nou spell proved frustrating: just five La Liga starts amid tactical clashes with Ronald Koeman and a body struggling to adapt to Hansi Flick’s high-intensity demands.
Pjanić’s peak shone brightest at Juventus (2016-2020), where his wand of a right foot delivered 13 goals and 44 assists in 178 matches, including iconic strikes against Barcelona in Champions League clashes.
Earlier stints at Lyon and Roma honed his visionary passing and dead-ball expertise, earning Bosnia’s all-time scoring record (37 goals).
Post-Barcelona loans to Besiktas and Sharjah preceded a 2023 return to Galatasaray on a free, where he added Turkish Super Lig glory before fading into Rio Ave obscurity.
Injuries and diminished minutes forced reflection: “Football gave me everything; now I give it back,” his reel poignantly states.
Barcelona fans cherish rare highlights—a Camp Nou debut assist, that thunderous free-kick training montage—despite unfulfilled promise.
Pjanić exits with 44 Bosnia caps, a legacy bridging continents. Retirement opens coaching doors or punditry; his elegance endures in highlight reels forever.
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