Former Germany defender Marcell Jansen has quit professional football at the age of just 29 following his release by Hamburg.
In 2007, Jansen had the world at his feet when he joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich having been part of the Germany squad which finished third at the 2006 World Cup on home soil and he played in the Euro 2008 final when Germany lost to Spain.
But having failed to break into Bayern’s first-team, Jansen was sold to Hamburg in 2008 where he has spent recent seasons battling relegation. His decision to quit came despite offers from England’s Everton and Benfica Lisbon.
The left-back says he now just wants to play football as a hobby and refuses to play half-heartedly for a new club just to further his career.
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"I've been thinking about things a lot during the summer break," Jansen told daily newspaper Bild, having made 242 appearances in Germany's top flight.
“There were great offers. But, for me, moving on is not an option.
“I could not play somewhere for two or three years where I do not stand behind it 100 per cent.
“I can’t suddenly kiss another badge now.
“Recently, football has been my job, but I’m looking forward to getting it back again as a hobby.”
Jansen won the last of his 45 caps for Germany in March 2014, when he started in a 1-0 friendly win over Chile, and although he was included in Joachim Joachim Low’s provisional World Cup squad, he was cut from the final group which went on to win Brazil 2014.
Having already set up his own company and started a gym-clothes line, Jansen is already thinking about a new career.
“I’d like to get involved with a start-up business, for example, it’s something I have been dreaming of with 100 percent passion,” he said.
“In 11 years of Bundesliga, I have been lucky enough to have earned good money, which means I am free to decide my next step.”
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
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