Fernando Morientes Retires

[Bender]

Former Spain striker Fernando Morientes has announced his retirement from football as he wants to have more free time with his family.

The 34-year-old spent last season at French champions Marseille.

Morientes will now move into a job in Spanish television, where he will commentate on Europa League matches and Euro 2012 qualifiers.

He told radio station Cope in an interview reported in Tuesday's edition of Spanish newspaper Marca: "After 17 years of top-level football... I want to spend more time with my family."

Morientes became a star at Real Madrid, where he won three Champions League titles (1998, 2000 and 2002) and two La Liga titles (2001 and 2003).

He joined Liverpool in 2005, but his time at Anfield proved to be disappointing and a 2006 move to Valencia followed before he switched to Marseille.

Morientes also scored 27 goals in 47 games for Spain between 1998 and 2007.

[Alex]

Our first Nando. His heart was in it, but his feet were not.

Good professional aswell

[Tee]

Our first Nando. His heart was in it, but his feet were not.

Good professional aswell

I liked him and was gutted it did not work out.

Scored a couple of crackers, notably v Charlton away.

34 is still quite young and (later in life) he may regret packing it in so soon.

[krade]

I think I must have been the only person who bought his shirt no19 from the club shop.
Was so looking forward to him when he came to us but playing at a slow pace for all his life meant he couldn't hack the faster paced prem

[Craig_H]

I liked him and was gutted it did not work out.

Scored a couple of crackers, notably v Charlton away.

34 is still quite young and (later in life) he may regret packing it in so soon.

I was at that Charlton game, we were badly in need of someone to do something for us, and he stepped up Good pro and gave his all, even though it didnt prove good enough.

34 isnt old, but his legs are totally gone. I think he knows he doesnt have what it takes to play at any kind of high level.

[Daniel 7]

His legs were never there. I never got it with him, he was hopelessly slow. I never rated him when he was apparently the best striker in Europe. Karlheinz Riedle looked more dynamic for Liverpool than Morientes.