Medhi Benatia Retires: Ex-Morocco Captain Posts Touching Message

The 34-year-old defender has pulled the curtain on a highly successful career for both club and country.

Former Morocco captain Medhi Benatia has retired from football at the age of 34.

The former Marseille and Roma defender announced his decision on social media on Thursday evening after ending a four-month spell in Turkey at Super Lig side Fatih Karagumruk.

He ends an impressive 15-year career that saw him play for several big European clubs, including Bayern Munich and Juventus, as well as taste league glory five times in Germany and Italy.

Benatia also won 58 caps for the Moroccan national team, scoring two goals and becoming captain in 2017. His proudest moment was scoring in a World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast in November 2017. The goal helped seal the Atlas Lions a 2-0 win, booking their spot in the 2018 tournament after a 20-year exile.

One of the greatest in Moroccan football history is hanging up his boots. He’s won the Bundesliga and Serie A, 4x CAF Team of the Year, lead Morocco to a World Cup for the first time in 20 year and captained us in several AFCON’s.

Happy retirement, @MedhiBenatia! 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/A9f0B3t3AJ

— Maghrib Foot (@MaghribFoot) December 9, 2021

Benatia’s message in full

“From a very young age I had only one dream, to become a professional footballer,” he wrote on Instagram.

“To achieve this, I had to impose a rigor of work, made sacrifices, but above all set myself at each stage of my career new goals.

“Thank God I had the pleasure of becoming a professional footballer but as they say in this job, the hardest thing is not to sign your first contract but to last in time.

“After more than 15 years of “good and loyal service” for football, having played in the most prestigious competitions, I decided to put an end to my career.

“Through my career, I have met great people who have allowed me to build myself, which is why I want to pay tribute to all the clubs I have passed through:

“Olympique Marseille, Lorient, Tours, Clermont, Udinese, Roma, Bayern Munich, Juventus Turin, Duhail and Karagumruk.

“This job also allowed me to defend and represent my country, Morocco, with whom I lived unforgettable moments, the AFON and especially the 2018 World Cup.

“Finally, I would like to thank all those who have supported me and who have been supporting me all this time, my parents, my wife, my children, my agent, my close friends, and you who follow me.

“It is said that the end of one thing is always the beginning of another… So, I say, ‘see you soon’ with always as a guideline, work, and passion. Medhi.”