Ante Vukušić retires from football following long-term lung injury

Croatian footballer Ante Vukušić has decided to retire from professional football following a career shaped by a significant health struggle. The 35-year-old, a former player for Hajduk Split and Kolubara, revealed that a traffic accident sustained while playing in Italy years ago caused long-term damage to his health.

Vukušić disclosed that the accident damaged his pleura, leading to a condition where one lung did not function at 100 percent. He noted that he often struggled to breathe during hot summer months, though he initially believed the pain was caused by a pinched nerve. The full extent of the injury was only discovered during a medical examination in Russia, where doctors expressed astonishment that he had been able to continue playing professional football despite having a non-functional lung.

Despite these medical challenges, Vukušić maintained a high level of play throughout his career, which included notable stints in Croatia and Serbia.