March 30, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 21, 1429

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 29: Romario announced his retirement on Friday, ending two decades at the pinnacle of Brazil’s national sport.

The 42-year-old striker told Rio’s O Dia newspaper that he was out of shape and physically unable to return after months of inactivity.

“I’ve stopped playing. I can’t do it any more. I haven’t played since November,” Romario said in an exclusive interview with the daily.

Without the speed and endurance that once were his hallmarks, Romario is a shadow of the scorer who starred for PSV Eindhoven and FC Barcelona and led Brazil to its fourth World Cup title in 1994, when he was named FIFA’s player of the year.

Last year, Romario scored his 1,000th career goal by his count — a mark matched only by the great Pele.

As player-coach of Vasco da Gama, Romario said in 2007 that he would end his 23-year career after he was suspended for four months in November for using the hair-loss medicine Propecia, which contains the banned substance Finasteride.

When the court overturned its verdict in February, there was speculation that he could return to Vasco or former club Flamengo.

But Romario said he planned to travel with his family in the Caribbean and was interested only in a position promoting the 2014 World Cup, which will be held in Brazil. He said he would play again only in a farewell game — not competitive soccer.

“I always wanted to end the way I began — without anyone noticing,” Romario said.—AP