Barbarez calls it a day

Sergej Barbarez has announced his retirement from professional football with immediate effect.

Bosnian forward announces retirement

Sergej Barbarez has announced his retirement from professional football with immediate effect. The veteran forward spent his entire career in Germany, starting out at second division Hannover, then moving on to Hansa Rostock, Borussia Dortmund, Hamburg and finishing at Bayer Leverkusen. A stalwart for Bosnia and Herzegovina he made almost 50 appearances for his country, captaining the side on a number of occasions. With 330 appearances under his belt during 17 years in Germany he has played more games in the Bundesliga than any other foreign player. He scored a career total of 95 goals, with 22 of those helping him to become the top scorer in the German top flight back in the 2000/01 season. "It's finished for me," the 36-year-old told Hamburger Morgenpost, adding that he now wants to pursue interests away from the field.