In his heyday, Miralem Pjanic was one of the best midfielders in Europe. Now, at the age of 35, he has announced his retirement.
During the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Pjanic gave an interview to the Italian newspaper Tuttosport in which he confirmed that he had ended his career. “I’ve stopped now,” said the 35-year-old. “I’m enjoying spending time with my baby and my role as a father.”
Pjanic had been without a club since the summer, most recently playing for Russian club CSKA Moscow. Now he wants to “think about it calmly” and decide what he wants to do with his life after his professional career. He has not yet made a decision. When asked whether he would soon be seen in a new role in Italy, he simply replied: “Maybe, who knows.” He is in no hurry. Pjanic enjoyed his most successful period as a professional in Italy. In 2011, the Bosnian moved from Olympique Lyon to AS Roma and promptly became the driving force in the “Eternal City.” In 2016, after an outstanding season with Roma in which he scored 20 points, he moved to Juventus Turin. With the Old Lady, Pjanic was a key player in midfield, winning the Italian championship four times in a row and the cup twice.
Grew up in Luxembourg, legendary status in Bosnia
In 2020, the set-piece expert moved to FC Barcelona for a transfer fee of €60 million, but failed to make his breakthrough there. After a loan spell at Besiktas Istanbul, Pjanic moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2022, where he has been based in Dubai ever since. The midfielder had already announced the end of his career with the Bosnian national team in the summer, playing the last of his 115 international matches in the spring of 2024. Pjanic, who was born in what is now Bosnia-Herzegovina but grew up in Luxembourg and played for the small country’s youth national teams, achieved legendary status in his country of birth when he led the Bosnian national team to qualification for the 2014 World Cup—to date, the only World Cup the country has ever participated in.