He didn’t find happiness in the Bundesliga, but in Italy, Ciro Immobile enjoys legendary status. Now the forward has retired.
“It’s a difficult moment for me, because a big part of my life is coming to an end,” Ciro Immobile begins his statement announcing his retirement. “I love this sport, but I have to be honest with myself. It wasn’t an easy decision, but for me, it’s time to spend time with my family,” the 36-year-old striker explains in a video shared by his last club, Paris FC. “Don’t be sad for my sake—a new adventure is beginning for me.”
In the French capital, the striker had been a teammate of Kevin Trapp since February and helped the newly promoted club comfortably avoid relegation. Immobile contributed two league goals in twelve games. He managed just one more during his stint in the Bundesliga. However, Immobile wasn’t truly happy during the 2014–15 season at Borussia Dortmund. As the league’s top scorer, the Italian had transferred from FC Turin to BVB for 18.5 million euros; after just one season and three goals in 24 league games, he moved on.
A legend at Lazio
After stints with FC Sevilla and, once again, FC Turin, Immobile found his happiness at Lazio Rome starting in 2016. He played for the Biancocelesti until 2024, was named Serie A top scorer three more times (2018, 2020, 2022), won the Italian Cup in 2019, and finished as runner-up in the league in 2023. In 2020, the striker even received the “Golden Boot” for scoring the most goals in Europe that season. He found the back of the net a whopping 36 times in 37 league games; a year later, Immobile won the European Championship with the Italian national team—for which he scored 17 goals in 57 appearances—in a penalty shootout against England.
Things quieted down for the striker after his time in the Italian capital. During his stints at Besiktas, Bologna, and most recently Paris, Immobile was unable to match his previous high scoring rates. Nevertheless, his last club paid tribute to the striker as he departed: “A great career, a legend of the game.” Lazio also used similar words on Instagram: “Thank you, Ciro, forever a legend.”
