Thuram Retires Due To Heart Condition

France's all time most-capped player, Lillian Thuram, called an end to a distinguished career Friday afternoon at a press conference in Paris. The central defender was in the process of transferring from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain when a medical exam uncovered a heart defect which led to Thuram's decision to end a highly successful career.

He had considered trying to fulfill at least part of the two-year deal at PSG but the 36 year-old was talked out of it by his mother who had already lost one son to a heart condition. Reflecting on the decision, Thuram remarked that "There are family reasons which have also been taken into account," he said. "I wanted to be the Paolo Maldini of PSG but that has not been possible. It's sad to end a career like this."

Thuram was capped 142 times and was a key member of the French teams which won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European championship. He most recently played for France in the Euro 2008 tourney. His 17-year playing career started at Monaco in 1990 before he moved to Serie A in 1996 where he played for Parma who he helped to win the UEFA Cup in 1999, and then to Juventus where he played on two scudetto winning sides. In 2006, he joined Barcelona where he stayed for two years before attempting to transfer back to France this summer.

Rumors out of Paris indicate Thuram will likely be offered a high profile position within the French Football Federation sometime before the summer ends.