Mexico City, Jan 7 (IANS): Mexican defender Aaron Galindo, who played for Spain's Toledo and Hercules, has announced his retirement after 16 years as a professional footballer.
The 36-year-old Galindo and fellow Mexican national team member Salvador Carmona were caught up in a doping scandal while at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany.
Galindo, who was playing for the Liga MX's Cruz Azul at the time, was later slapped with a one-year suspension from professional football, reports Efe news.
"It's a stain on my career. On a personal level, I can't claim to be a victim because I made bad decisions, (but) instead of letting it sink me, I decided to follow my own path. In the future, you'll hear more details about this episode (in my life), but I'm proud that despite all that, I was able to play in Europe and come away with that prestige," Galindo said on Sunday night.
The central defender joined Alicante, Spain-based Hercules in 2006 and later played for Swiss club Grasshoppers and Germany's Eintracht Frankfurt, where he was a starter.
In 2009, Galindo returned to Liga MX, signing with the Guadalajara Chivas.