VIENNA (AP) Former Austria international Paul Scharner announced his retirement Monday, 10 days after the defender and Hamburg decided to part company by mutual consent.
Scharner told Austrian broadcaster ORF he wanted "to end my career to show respect to myself and my family ... The last couple of months have been pretty turbulent."
Scharner played just four matches for Hamburg after signing a two-year contract in 2012. He joined Wigan on loan for the second half of last season and became the first Austrian player to win the English FA Cup.
The 33-year-old Scharner, who also had stints at Austria Vienna, Salzburg and West Bromwich, played 40 times for the national team but missed the 2008 European Championship hosted by Austria and Switzerland after falling out with then coach Josef Hickersberger.
