BUENOS AIRES, Nov 11 — Former Real Madrid and Boca Juniors midfielder Fernando Gago ended his playing career yesterday after finally succumbing to a series of serious injuries.
Gago, 34, also played for AS Roma and Valencia and was on the books of Buenos Aires club Velez Sarsfield.
“We’ve lost a very important player,” Velez coach Pablo Cavallero told a local radio station in announcing the news. “The decision has been made.”
A stylish holding midfielder, Gago seriously damaged his Achilles tendon three times and twice damaged the tendons in his knee, robbing him of years at the top.
He won two La Liga titles with Real Madrid and appeared for Argentina at the 2014 World Cup and the 2008 Olympics. (Reporting by Ramiro Scandolo in Buenos Aires, writing by Andrew Downie Editing by Toby Davis)
Jovic to pay fine to avoid jail for breaking Serbia lockdown
MADRID, Nov 10 (Reuters) — Real Madrid and Serbia forward Luka Jovic has agreed to pay a fine in exchange for a six-month jail sentence after flouting Serbian’s Covid-19 restrictions, according to a court statement.
The court said the striker, 22, has been ordered to pay a fine of 3.5 million Serbian dinar, equivalent to around 30,000 euros, within a month in order to avoid prison.
Jovic, who has scored only two goals since joining Real in a 60-million-euro move from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019, returned to Serbia when the pandemic disrupted world sport in March.
The forward’s troubles worsened when he broke his foot in May, missing most of Real’s run towards the La Liga title.
He has only started two of Madrid’s eight league games this season and has not been named in a line-up since a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid in September.
His last goal came in a 4-1 win at Osasuna in February. — Reuters
