Former Arsenal Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has been forced to end his 20-year professional career after a medical examination for Serie A side Calgiari revealed a heart problem.
The 37-year old was seeking employment in Italy after spending two seasons with Watford.
Almunia spent eight years with Arsenal and became the team’s number one goalkeeper after German stopper Jens Lehmann left in 2008. The player was hoping to extend his career with Cagliari but doctors discovered the heart issue leading to his immediate retirement.
Almunia was found to be suffering from Hypertrophic Cardiomypathy, a disease of the heart tissue that causes it to thicken and can lead to a sudden cardiac death, especially for sportsmen.
Cagliari’s President Tommaso Giulini told Italian media: “It was picked up in the first visit to Cagliari and confirmed after further tests in Padua.”
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