Patrik Berger has announcement his retirement after suffering from recurrent injury problems.
Czech forward calls time on his career
Patrik Berger has announcement his retirement after suffering from recurrent injury problems.
The former Czech Republic international informed his coach at Sparta Prague of his decision on Tuesday and walks away from the game with immediate effect.
The 36-year-old feels his body is no longer capable of withstanding the rigours involved in professional football.
"Patrik told me: 'It's over. My knee can no longer hold up," said Sparta manager Jozef Chovanec.
Berger learnt his trade within the academy ranks at Sparta, before joining city rivals Slavia Prague as an 18-year-old in 1991.
He then moved to German giants Borussia Dortmund in 1995 and secured a high-profile switch to Liverpool in August 1996 after starring at that summer's European Championships.
Seven years at Anfield followed, while he also took in spells at Portsmouth, Stoke and Aston Villa during his time in England.
He then headed back to his roots in 2008 when he returned to Sparta, but has seen injury problems prevent him from making the desired impact in his homeland.
Berger, who won 44 caps for his country, played his last competitive game on 8th August 2009.
