Todt forced to quit
Friday, March 28, 2003
Article summary
VfB Stuttgart's Jens Todt has decided to retire from football early due to a painful ankle injury.
Article body
Pain barrier
Former German international Todt, who turned 33 in January, had been playing with painkilling injections and had planned to retire when his contract expired on 30 June. However, he was finding it difficult even to train and after talks with club coach Felix Magath, said it was "time to end the torture".
'The best solution'
"The last few months have been nothing but pain for me. I wish I could have ended my career in a different way, but this is the best solution for everyone," he said.
Cup winner
Having started his career with ASC Nienburg and TSV Havelse, Todt played 168 times for SC Freiburg during a five-year spell between 1991 and 1996. He then joined SV Werder Bremen, where he won the German Cup in 1999, before switching to Stuttgart. Todt made just 42 appearances for the club over three-and-a-half years because of injury - the final one coming in a German Cup tie against SC Paderborn last August.
International pedigree
Todt also won three international caps. Included in Germany's EURO 96™ squad, he did not play in the finals in England, but still received a winner's medal as the team beat the Czech Republic to claim the trophy.
