When Veljko Paunović came out of retirement last June to sign with the Philadelphia Union, he said how much he missed soccer and that he hoped to have a “great comeback.”
That comeback appears to over.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Union capped off a busy day by announcing Paunović’s retirement. The 34-year-old Serbian had three goals and three assists in 16 starts for Philly last season, while providing a valuable veteran presence that helped the club qualify for their first playoff berth.
Paunović, who has played over 400 careers games in five different countries, cited family reasons as to why he’s stepping away from the game. It was the same reason why he said he retired the first time back in 2008.
“I want to thank the great Union family for welcoming me from the very first day that I came here,” Paunović said in the club's release. “I’ve been to so many places around the world and I have never felt as happy as I have been here.”
It didn’t take long for Paunović to mesh with his Union teammates and shine in his first MLS season. In his third start, he notched a goal and an assist to lift Philly to a 3-2 win over Chivas USA on June 25.
Quickly becoming a regular starter in the midfield, the Serbian later netted the Union’s only goal in a 1-1 road tie with the Fire on Aug. 3 and added two assists in the team’s wild come-from-behind 4-4 tie against the Revolution on Sept. 7.
“He’s been a top professional both on and off the field since he arrived, and throughout his stay he has made the Union a better club,” Union manager Peter Nowak said in a release. “We understand that family is more important than anything and as much as we are all sad to see him go and that we are losing such a great guy, we will always cherish his time with us.”
Paunović’s retirement comes just hours after the Union announced they were declining contract options on Levi Houapeu, Morgan Langley, Ryan Richter and Joe Tait. Aside from Langley, who logged 10 minutes in his MLS debut, none of those four earned any playing time in league games this past season.
With the departures of Houapeu (Ivory Coast), Tait (England) and Paunović (Serbia), the Union are now down to eight international players, which barring trades is the MLS maximum.
Dave Zeitlin covers the Philadelphia Union for MLSsoccer.com. Email him at djzeitlin@gmail.com
