Cabaye Announces Retirement From Football
Former France, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 35.
Cabaye had been without a club after leaving Saint Etienne at the end of the 2019/2020 season.
He began his career with Lille in France, winning one Ligue 1 title before joining Newcastle, where his performances for the Magpies earned him cult hero status at the Saint James’ Park.
A move to Paris Saint Germain in January 2014 saw Cabaye add two more Ligue 1 titles to his trophy collection but he never commanded a regular starting berth at the Parc des Princes and he returned to England with a transfer to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2015.
Cabaye won 45 caps for the French national team, scoring four goals and appeared at EURO 2012 and 2016 as well as the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In an emotional tweet, which he captioned 'the final whistle', Cabaye shared a statement which read: 'It is with great emotion that after more than 17 years of passion, love for football, emotions greater than each other, memories that will forever remain serious in my memory, human encounters and unforgettable sports that I am announcing the end of my career as a professional footballer.
'Even if this decision may seem obvious and unavoidable having passed 35 in the world of football, it is still difficult to take and to accept because my love for football is immense.
'You have to know, then, to take a step back and especially measure the chance to have been able to live your passion, your childhood dream in order to be able to move forward.
'I cannot thank enough all the people that I have been able to rub shoulders with over the past few years; my teammates, my coaches, my leaders and my presidents, the supporters of the clubs I have been through but also those of the France national team who encouraged me when I had the honour of wearing the shirt of my country.
'Thank you my family, my friends as well as my agents who supported me and accompanies me throughout this adventure. Thank you to my five children, Myla, Charlize, Romy, Linoi and Maian for giving me so much love and strength to face certain difficult moments in the life of a footballer.
'Thanks to all of you, I went beyond my dreams. Thank you from the heart. Yohan Cabaye.'
