Italian defender Cristiano Piccini has officially retired from professional football, sharing the news in an emotional Instagram post on Sunday.
Born in Florence, Piccini began his football journey with Fiorentina at the age of 10. He made his senior debut for the club in 2011 before spending the next few years on loan at Carrarese, Spezia, Livorno, and eventually Real Betis.
After impressing in Spain, Piccini signed a permanent deal with Real Betis in 2014, making 58 appearances and scoring three goals over two seasons. In 2017, he moved to Portuguese side, Sporting CP, on a five-year contract but returned to Spain just a year later to join Valencia CF.
At Valencia, he made 51 appearances and enjoyed one of the highlights of his career by winning the Copa del Rey in 2019. However, recurring injuries hampered his progress. In 2020, he was loaned to Italian side Atalanta and was released by Valencia in 2022.
In the final stages of his career, Piccini had short stints at various clubs, including a move to Swedish side Yverdon. He also celebrated promotion to La Liga with Betis during his earlier spell.
