Moroccan Soccer Star Medhi Benatia Announces Retirement After 15-Year Career

"To achieve this, I had to impose a rigor of work, make sacrifices, but above all set new goals for myself at each stage of my career," writes the former captain of the Atlas Lions.

"Thanks to God I had the happiness of becoming a professional footballer but as they say in this profession, the hardest part is not signing your first contract but lasting over time," he specifies.

And to conclude that after "more than 15 years of ’good and loyal service’ for football, having played the most prestigious competitions, I have decided to end my career!"

A few months ago, in an interview with the magazine TelQuel, he had spoken about his future after his football career. He had expressed his desire to open an orphanage to address the difficulties of the underprivileged, while focusing his efforts on his foundation. Similarly, the idea of buying a Moroccan club and a high-level academy to allow young people to combine sports and studies was part of his plans.