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Barcelona Defender Gabriel Milito Insists He Never Contemplated Retiring During Injury Lay Off
The 29-year-old was always confident he would recover....
Jan 25, 2010 11:10:00 PM
By Paul Madden
Barcelona centre half Gabriel Milito has declared that he never contemplated retirement during his long lay off with a cruciate ligament injury.
The Argentine defender was absent from action since April 2008, when he ruptured a cruciate in the UEFA Champions League semi final against Manchester United at Old Trafford and despite not playing a single game, he said he still feels a part of the six trophy success of last season.
"There were difficult times when I did not see a clear evolution [of the injury] and I could not find the reason why, but I always believed in my ability to recover," he told a press conference.
"I never thought of retiring. It was pretty tough, but I did feel part of the titles, victories and games. There's a great group of people here, not just excellent players but also great people."
The 29-year-old also praised coach Pep Guardiola for believing in him during his lengthy absence.
"He is very close to the players, not just me. In other situations he has been very good. I felt it more because I have talked a lot with him, he also had a very long injury and always gave me his trust," Milito noted.
The Argentine defender was absent from action since April 2008, when he ruptured a cruciate in the UEFA Champions League semi final against Manchester United at Old Trafford and despite not playing a single game, he said he still feels a part of the six trophy success of last season.
| Bet: | Returns: | Bilbao £85.00 | Draw £55.00 | Barcelona £12.50 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Bilbao £95.00 | Draw £55.00 | Barcelona £12.90 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Bilbao £90.00 | Draw £50.00 | Barcelona £13.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Bilbao £90.00 | Draw £60.00 | Barcelona £12.90 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Bilbao £87.00 | Draw £53.00 | Barcelona £12.50 |
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"There were difficult times when I did not see a clear evolution [of the injury] and I could not find the reason why, but I always believed in my ability to recover," he told a press conference.
"I never thought of retiring. It was pretty tough, but I did feel part of the titles, victories and games. There's a great group of people here, not just excellent players but also great people."
The 29-year-old also praised coach Pep Guardiola for believing in him during his lengthy absence.
"He is very close to the players, not just me. In other situations he has been very good. I felt it more because I have talked a lot with him, he also had a very long injury and always gave me his trust," Milito noted.
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