Lillian Thuram retires

I just saw an article on ESPN.com that Lillian Thuram has retired from soccer due to a heart condition. He had retired from the French National Team once again and was going to move from Barcelona to Paris St. Germain for at least one more season, but has to retire due to a heart condition. Thuram is one of the last members of the great French teams from the late 1990's and early 2000's to still have been playing and was there for all of those great moments. Who could ever forget his 2 goals against Croatia in the 1998 World Cup that got France into the Final and those goals coming from the right back!

Thuram was more well known as a lock down defender who played center back for his club teams in France, Italy, and for the last couple of seasons in Spain with Barcelona. He played right back for the French National Team for most of his career, but easily took over at center back once players like Desailly, Blanc, and Leboeuf moved on. It definitely will be a shame to not be able to see Thuram play anymore as it was a tremendous joy watching him place for so many great teams and with so many great players. Who can forget his years at Parma and Juventus with Fabio Cannavaro? Talk about a stifling defense....