Soccer: Figo bows out of big stuff and this time he means it

Germany's Oliver Kahn (left) is joining Luis Figo in stepping down after yesterday's third-place match in Suttgart. Picture / Reuters

STUTTGART - Portugal captain Luis Figo quit international soccer after his team's defeat to Germany in yesterday's third-place play-off.

Striker Pauleta also announced the end of his Portugal career, as did Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

Figo, 33, revealed his decision to Portuguese television after the game in which he made a brief substitute appearance and set up his side's consolation goal for Nuno Gomes.

One of the few players to have represented both Spanish arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, Figo first announced the end of his Portugal career after the 2004 European Championship, which his side hosted and finished as runners-up.

But he reconsidered his decision last year, to the delight of coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Fifa's 2001 World Player of the Year is Portugal's most capped player with 127 appearances, in which he scored 32 goals.

"It is hard for me to end my international career in this way. I did everything I could and the team gave their all," he said.

"I'm very proud to have been part of this team. It's very difficult to leave after 15 years but the time had to come in the end."

Scolari said Figo did not start against the Germans because he was still in discomfort after the 1-0 semifinal defeat by France.

Figo began his career with Sporting Lisbon before joining Barcelona in 1995. He stayed there for five years before moving to Real Madrid but became increasingly unhappy with the club's so-called galaticos policy and moved to Inter Milan at the start of last season.

After playing for Portugal at under-20 level, he made his full international debut against Luxembourg at the age of 18 in 1991.

He went on to play in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 European championships as well as the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

Though famous for his dribbling skills on either flank, he and his Portugal team mates struggled to shrug off the label of perennial under-achievers.

Pauleta, 33, is Portugal's all-time leading scorer with 47 goals in 87 appearances. Despite his team's surprise progress to the semifinals, he had an unhappy tournament in Germany, scoring his only goal four minutes into Portugal's opening game against Angola.

"Pauleta is part of a group," said Scolari, defending his striker. "When he scored all those goals in the qualifiers, he was part of a group then as well."

Kahn, who had 86 caps for Germany, was captain of the team that went to the World Cup final in 2002, where they lost to Brazil 2-0. He nevertheless won the Golden Ball, an award given to the most valuable player of the 32-team tournament.

But he was demoted by coach Juergen Klinsmann two years ago when he took over, first stripping him of the captaincy and giving that to midfielder Michael Ballack.

Kahn, 37, was shocked to be relegated to the bench just before the World Cup. He played in the match against Portugal as a gesture of thanks for his loyalty to the team after being demoted.

Kahn was captain, for the 49th time, yesterday because Ballack was out with an injury.

The Bayern Munich captain was named the world's best goalkeeper three times and Europe's best keeper four times.

- REUTERS