Erik Lamela retires at 33, joins Sevilla as Almeyda’s assistant | OneFootball

After 15 years of professional career, Erik Lamela has announced his retirement from football. At just 33 years old, the former Roma and Tottenham playmaker is ending a journey marked by talent, injuries, and sacrifices, to start a new adventure on the bench.

Erik Lamela retires from football at 33: he will be Almeyda's deputy at Sevilla

The Argentine will join Matías Almeyda's technical staff at Sevilla, taking on the role of deputy coach. The two shared the field in the days of River Plate, and now they meet again in a technical project that marks the beginning of Lamela's second football life.

A career between successes and obstacles

Grown in the River Plate nursery, Lamela arrived in Serie A with Roma at just 19 years old, immediately conquering the attention of the experts. Subsequently, the transfer to Tottenham took him to the Premier League, where he played for eight seasons before moving to Sevilla, with whom he won the Europa League.

The last stop as a player was at AEK Athens: 31 appearances, 6 goals and 3 assists under Almeyda's guidance. But behind the numbers hides a long battle with physical problems: at 25, two hip surgeries had almost ended his career.

The farewell message and the difficulties experienced

In his post on social media, Lamela revealed that he had lived with pain for much of his recent career, arriving at taking medication before each game and undergoing constant treatments to be able to take the field.

"I have decided to end my professional career. I have had hip problems for 11 years, two operations in 2017 and countless injections to prolong my adventure. I have given everything I could give, and today I feel the need to take care of my health."

The playmaker publicly thanked all the clubs he played for — River Plate, Roma, Tottenham, Sevilla and AEK — and remembered the emotions experienced on the field, between goals, victories and difficult moments.

The future on the bench

From next year, Lamela will be Almeyda's deputy at Sevilla, thus returning to the Andalusian city where he had already played. The goal is clear: to transfer to the bench the same passion and determination that accompanied him on the field, putting his experience at the service of the team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.