On September 10, Beijing time, the 37-year-old Paraguayan soccer star, former Guangzhou Evergrande player Barrios, officially announced his retirement decision on his personal social media platform.
On social media, Barrios left a heartfelt message, "Fellow fans, I want to tell you the news in person that my career is coming to a close. For twenty years, I have given my best wherever I have been. There have been ups and downs, but the years of perseverance have seen my unyielding professionalism. I would like to thank all the clubs I have played for, all my teammates, and the coaches."
Although Barrios' playing career is coming to an end, he promises, "You will still see me soon in the future. Soccer will not leave me, and I will transition into a new challenge as a coach. I look forward to continuing to have your support."
Barrios spent his early years as a striker, mainly in non-mainstream leagues in Chile and Argentina, and only began to make a name for himself when he joined Colo Colo FC - in 2008, he was crowned top scorer of the Chilean Primera Division in the spring and fall leagues with 19 goals each. He then moved to Borussia Dortmund, scoring 23 and 21 goals in his first two seasons. But with the rise of Lewandowski, Barrios gradually lost his starting position.
Barrios joined Guangzhou Evergrande in May 2012 for a transfer fee of €8.5 million, only to move to Sparta Moscow in the summer of 2013 due to issues such as strikes and refusal to return to the team. During his time with Evergrande, he contributed five goals and six assists in the Chinese Super League, four goals in the FA Cup, and four goals and one assist in the AFC Champions League; in terms of collective honors, he won two Chinese Super League titles, one FA Cup title, and one AFC Champions League title.
In 2015, Barrios traveled to Brazil, first winning the Copa do Brasil and the Barclays Premier League with Palmeiras before moving to Gremio, where he led the team to the Copa Libertadores. This season, he joined Patronato as a free agent, scoring three goals in 15 games. After much deliberation following the expiration of his contract, Barrios ultimately chose to retire.
