After an injury and an affair with gambling, for which he was punished with two suspended games and 20,000 euros, Ivica Olić came back in a big way and was the best player in the TSV 1860 Munich victory against Erzgebirge Aue (6:2) in the 11th round of Germany’s second league.
Olić was happy to play again after a long recovery from an injury on his left knee, and with his injuries and age (Olić is now 37), it seems that he has already made a final decision on his career in football.
"Yes, I think the end is near,” said Olić in an exclusive interview with Jutarnji Sport, the first interview he has given since his injury and betting scandal. "I have big problems with my knee. I have received a lot of injections, I’ve had a lot of therapy...Although I have said that nothing can break me, it is time to finish my career. At this age I have no more football goals.”
We still do not know whether his career’s end will be at the end of winter, or if he will remain in the uniform of his second division team for the end of the season and his contract.
And with that, the great Croatian footballer has announced the end to a great career. Olić currently plays for German club TSV 1860 Munich, and during his career he has played for German Bundesliga clubs such as Hamburger SV, Vfl Wolfsburg, and Bayern Munich. Olić played in two Champions League finals with Bayern Munich. Olić played 104 matches for the Croatian National Team, and was named the Croatian Footballer of the Year in 2009 and 2010 and represented his country in three FIFA World Cups in 2002, 2006, and 2014. He also represented Croatia in two UEFA European Championships in 2004 and 2008, and earned his 100th cap on 16 November 2014, before retiring from international football in 2015.
A big congratulations on a stellar career, we will miss you, Ivica!
