End of career at 35 years old
©IMAGO
Former Bundesliga professional Josuha Guilavogui is hanging up his football boots at the age of 35. The defensive midfielder was most recently active for Leeds United and has been without a club since last summer. “The page turns, but the book remains open,” Guilavogui wrote in an Instagram post.
Guilavogui’s career is closely linked to VfL Wolfsburg, for whom he played most of the games from 2014 to 2023 and with whom he won the cup in 2015. Initially on loan and then permanently signed by Atlético Madrid – as a total package for just under 10 million euros – Guilavogui played in 265 games for the Wolves, contributing twelve goals and six assists – only goalkeepers Diego Benaglio and Koen Casteels were on the pitch more frequently for Lower Saxony as foreign players.
From 2018, Guilavogui wore the captain’s armband, and at the end of 2019 he reached his highest market value in Wolfsburg with 14 million euros. After his departure, the midfielder played twelve games in one year for 1. FSV Mainz 05 before moving to Leeds. His CV also includes seven international matches for France. From his home country, where Guilavogui grew up at AS Saint-Étienne, only four professionals made more appearances in the Bundesliga.
“Dear football, you ask a lot, but you give so much more in return. You gave me the chance to realize my father’s dream, which later became mine, and which lights up the hearts and eyes of millions of children… and then you chose me. When I take a step back, I realize all the unforgettable moments you gave me. I would have liked to ask you for so much more, but I also know that it could have been much less,” wrote Guilavogui. “You will certainly forget me, as you have done others who were greater than me, but like them, I will never forget you.”
