Paul Scharner: Wigan Athletic FA Cup winner retires aged 33 
Austrian defender Paul Scharner, who won the FA Cup with Wigan in May, has retired from football at the age of 33.He recently
left Hamburg after agreeing a settlement for the remainder of his contract with the Bundesliga side, for whom he made just four appearances.
Scharner
returned for a second spell with the Latics in January and helped them win their first major trophy.But the former West Bromwich Albion man could not prevent their relegation from the Premier League three days later.
Scharner had been involved in a dispute with Hamburg, claiming they "had to pay for their mistakes" and accusing the club of having "no philosophy".
Capped 40 times by Austria, Scharner scored 21 goals in 222 Premier League appearances during his seven years in English football.
He initially joined Wigan from Norwegian outfit Brann in January 2006 and quickly became a cult figure with their fans,
as much for his eye-catching hairstyles and fashion sense as his impressive performances on the field.A two-year stint with the Baggies began in the summer of 2010 before he moved to Germany, although he became frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities
at Hamburg and returned to the DW Stadium earlier this year.Scharner started the 1-0 victory against Manchester City at Wembley,
but his time at Wigan finished on a sour note as the club's eight-year stay in the Premier League ended in relegation.
His international career was interrupted by fall-outs with coaches and the Austrian authorities, which led to him missing Euro 2008, a tournament co-hosted by his home country.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23962362
