Kun announced his retirement from professional football on Wednesday.
Photo: Alex Caparros / Getty Images
“I have decided to stop playing professional soccer.”
Visibly moved, Argentine soccer player Sergio “Kun” Agüero said this Wednesday at a press conference that he is moving away from the fields.
“It is a very hard moment, but hey, I am still very happy with the decision I made. First is my health, you know why I made this decision, because of the problem I had a month or so ago, “he added.
Agüero, 33, who signed for Barcelona at the end of May, was transferred to the hospital on October 30 after experiencing “Chest discomfort” during a match against Deportivo Alavés, from Spain.
After several medical studies, it was detected that the footballer has a ventricular arrhythmia, as reported by his cardiologist Roberto Peidró.
What is a ventricular arrhythmia? And why is it dangerous for Agüero to continue playing soccer in a professional way?
Scar on the heart
Aguero’s medical studies determined that he has a scar on his heart.
“When the studies are done, it is seen that he has a small scar in an area in the heart. This scar generates an electrical source that produces arrhythmias. It stimulates itself and begins to have palpitations because the heart starts to beat faster. CSince it is in the ventricle, it is a ventricular arrhythmia“, Peidró explained to Radio con Vos de Buenos Aires.
An arrhythmia is a problem related to the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. During an arrhythmia, the heart may beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or with an irregular rhythm.
Ventricular arrhythmias begin in the lower chambers of the heart. They can be very dangerous and generally require immediate medical attention, details the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute on its website.
Agüero’s personal cardiologist explained that the heart was stimulated with a catheter so that the ventricular arrhythmia appeared and the millimeter foci were burned in the area of the scar.
After this successful intervention, no further arrhythmias were observed with exercise tests.
“I think he has all the chances of being very well, but for high performance at this point in his career – where he has reached his peak in sports, economics, etc. – to be risking a life that begins at 33 years of age with a permanent cardiac, physical and mental overload of several hours per day, the advice was to stop playing professional football“, Assured the Argentine cardiologist.
Not related to covid
The doctor Roberto Peidró ruled out that Sergio Agüero’s ventricular arrhythmia was a consequence of covid-19 or the vaccine.
“It has nothing to do with it. That little scar could have been caused by a virus that he had in his life and that was never detected and caused myocarditis, “he added.
When asked if this arrhythmia endangered the footballer’s life, the doctor dismissed it.
“I think not at this time, because he underwent a successful cardiac ablation and he did not have arrhythmias again. We are calm in this regard and he is not taking any medication ”, informed the doctor, who clarified that ventricular arrhythmia is not something rare and that many people have this type of pathology.
“It was not easy”
Sergio Agüero explained in the press conference the difficult moment he is going through.
“When I had my first physical test at the clinic, the doctors called me to tell me that there was a very great possibility that I should not continue [jugando al fútbol]. I started to mentalize, but it was not easy. Then they called me and told me it was final, “he said with a broken voice.
After knowing the news, the soccer player and personal friend of Agüero Lionel Messi dedicated a heartfelt comment to him on social networks.
“It hurts a lot to see how you have to stop doing what you like the most because of what happened to you. Surely you will continue to be happy because you are a person who transmits happiness and those of us who love you are going to be with you, “wrote the soccer star on his Instagram account.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXgSATFsg7K/?utm_medium=copy_link
Despite the premature end of his time at Barcelona, Agüero is one of the most outstanding forwards of the 21st century.
The “Kun” ends his career as a professional footballer after 16 years and 332 days with 427 goals in 786 games.
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