Poor Lilian Thuram

ShoulderChip

http://www.goal.com/en/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=754032

36 year-old Lilian Thuram was fully expected to be unveiled as PSG's first signing of the summer transfer window this lunchtime, however, French football has been rocked by the news that the centre-back will not make the move from Barcelona.

Medical tests revealed that Thuram has a heart problem, the same one that took his brother's life a few years ago.

Thuram told the assembled press: “I am unfortunately holding this press conference not to confirm my move to PSG but announce that doctors detected a cardiac malformation.

"It seems that it is the same disease that my brother had a few years ago and which cost him his life on a basketball court.”

The veteran defender will have tests conducted on his body over the course of the next month that will dictate whether he should continue his career.

All indications point to this being a sad end to the career of one of France's all-time greats and one of the best and most successful defenders of his generation, having made his name with Parma and Juventus, as well as winning the World Cup and European Championship with his country in 1998 and 2000 respectively.

Suspicions were first raised that there might have been a problem with the deal on Thursday evening when PSG released a note to the press dictating that Thuram had not completed his move to the club.


POOR DUDE, and a sad way to end a career.

ps. I know this news is a bit stale at this stage sorry about that.

leninbenjamin

saw this earlier alright, don't think it was mentioned here though. it's a hard way to have to have to bow out. still, the main thing is that it was discovered before it could do him harm. wonder what he'll do after football? would he go into coaching?

newbie2

Poor bloke,
Didn't Kanu have a major heart problem and is still playing now? There could be hope yet

Sherifu

Better safe than sorry, he's had a good run.

Mr.Nice Guy

Sad end? More like lucky break. I imagine the older you get with such a condition the more at risk you'd become of suffering heart failure. Also at 36 he's had a good run. His health is the main thing.

Hopefully he'll be OK now that they've discovered the problem.

~Rebel~

y'know i always think of players of 35 or 36 as being 'old', but christ its still only my brothers age. 36 is very young for a serious heart problem. Hope it stays manageable.

kmart6

It's a blessing that this has been discovered becasue 1) It'll be treated and 2) He might finally stop playing! He was brutal last year!

Seaneh

Lillian thuram is/was IMHO the archtypical example of what a modern Centre back should be, he and Alesandro Nesta have been the template for perfection.

Big, strong, intelligent, quick, agile and able to play the ball out of defence.

Players like Ricahrds are breed to be like Thuram and Nesta.

Really damned good player.

First person to say "He was a fullback" gets a slap, because he never was. he just played the position out of nesecity.

kmart6

Thing is he declined a lot quicker than Nesta!

Seaneh

He's four years older than Nesta though, in fairness.

And he didn't play football untill he was something like 19, which is pretty ****ing impressive, also, peoples bodies age differently, Nesta has been lucky so far that he hasn't lost his pace, thuram lost his about 3 years ago and thats what ****ed him up TBH.

kmart6

But in the last few years he's been off the pace not just speed wise, but mentally! Things he woulda seen coiming he wasn't catching onto!

Seaneh

true true, but from the age of 23 to about 33 he was immense.

gucci

You would imagine that if his brother died of a heart problem, then his would have been detected before now? Maybe its just something that develops. But hes had a good break that he has got it before any harm was done.
He has a fair haul of medals, and was a great player.

Third_Echelon

Really sorry to hear this... Such a great player over the years.. I hope that he recovers/gets the proper medical care for this..

Nunu

Officially announced his retirement today.

I was a blessing he had such a long and distinguished career with his condition. Also, a blessing it was detected now...I've had a couple of friends who died of sudden heart attacks while playing the game they loved and of course there's been numerous high profile cases too:( It's so harrowing. Thank God Thuram didn't suffer that fate.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2008/0801/thuraml.html

Galvasean

Just as well they discovered it. While its sad to see him end his career in such a manner its better that it won't end in tragedy. Still at 36 many footballers have retired already.
Here to a long and illustrious career!

Racing Flat

Not in anyway doubting the presence of the condition in this case, but having to retire 'injured' can be an everyone's a winner situation. Because the clubs are insured against such an event, the insurance company foots the bill to pay the player for the rest of the contract, so the player gets paid, but the club don't have to do the paying. So older players who have been loyal servants tend to get 'forced to retire due to injury' quite conveniently. Of course that's not the situation in this time, but it just came to mind, having worked with professional teams, some of the ingenious ways the players and clubs used to try and get around providing x-ray/MRI evidence of injury and all that.