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Fate deals bad hand to Deisler

FC Bayern München midfielder Sebastian Deisler's career, which has ended all too early at the age of 27, was a tale of tremendous talent and horrific bad luck.

The end of Sebastian Deisler's playing days typified his career. At his best a truly special talent, the 27-year-old has decided that neither his body nor his psyche are up to the demands of professional football.

Surprising timing
While the decision itself may not have been a surprise, the timing was. Having just come back from another major injury to his right knee, the FC Bayern München midfielder had appeared optimistic but this week he put out a statement reading: "I can't trust my knee any more. I don't enjoy playing football any more." In a hastily-arranged press conference, a visibly-pale Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness had a hard time keeping his poise. "He is one of the best players Germany has ever had," Hoeness said. "I hoped until the end that this was just a bad dream."

Rising star
It is such a contrast from the teenager who first enthralled Germany in helping his national team to the 1998 UEFA European Under-18 Championship final, lost on penalties to the Republic of Ireland. Since the seniors had endured a miserable FIFA World Cup in France, hopes were high for the VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach youngster, who the next season played 17 Bundesliga games and despite relegation earned a move to ambitious Hertha BSC Berlin, where he made his UEFA Champions League debut in 1999. Handed his international bow in February 2000, he was soon hailed as the saviour of German football following the humiliation of UEFA EURO 2000™. Perhaps it was too much pressure, too soon.

Injury strikes
Midway through the 2001/02 campaign, Deisler - nicknamed 'Basti Fantasti' - agreed a €9.5m transfer to FC Bayern München, yet disaster struck. He had suffered from injury in the past, but on 18 May 2002 Deisler sustained cartilage damage to his right knee playing a friendly for Germany against Austria. This ruled him out of the World Cup and delayed his Bayern debut until the following February as they completed the German double.

Depression
Even then he was not right, and in November 2003 he began treatment for depression, which Deisler said had started the previous summer. Though he returned within a couple of months, it recurred the following October. Physical injuries were again the partial cause. Torn cruciate ligaments and cartilage, hamstring problems, groin surgery, knee rupture, tendon damage - not entries from a medical dictionary, but some of the complaints experienced by the luckless Deisler.

The end
Sidelined during UEFA EURO 2004™ due to his troublesome knee - which to date has been operated on five times - history repeated itself to deny him a place at the 2006 World Cup on home soil after cartilage damage sustained in a friendly against Italy. Though he played again in November, with a notably excellent performance against Hamburger SV, he picked up a thigh injury in training in mid-December, and any optimism expressed about his future prospects was not shared by Deisler. "It has been an ordeal for me," he said on announcing his retirement after 36 caps and just 135 Bundesliga appearances spanning nine years - never more than 25 in a single season.

Beckenbauer hope
Some are still envisioning a comeback - his contract remains valid until 2009 and Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer said: "Who says that in six months' time he won't feel physically and mentally fit to return? The door is always open for Sebastian Deisler." Fans have also launched a website urging him to carry on, but it seems the heartbreaking tale of Deisler's playing career really is over.

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