Washington on brink of retirement

The career of Fenerbahçe SK star Stecanela Washington is under threat after it emerged that the Brazilian striker is a diabetic with a heart condition.

Blocked vessel
The forward suffered severe chest pains in training on Wednesday and was forced into hospital, where he had an operation to unblock a heart vessel. The 27-year-old will be unable to participate in any physical activity for at least a fortnight – and there is also a chance he may never play football again.

Life in danger
The fact he is a diabetic means he is likely to suffer from the same problem in the future – and it is serious enough to endanger his life. It has already been revealed that there is a clause in the player's contract that allows the Fener board to rescind his contract. "This heart problem could lead to the cancellation of his contract," general manager Kemal Dinçer said.

Early success
Washington signed from homeland club Ponte Preta in the summer and has scored nine goals in 13 Turkish Super League league outings.