Mexican defender Galindo retires from professional soccer

Mexican defender Aaron Galindo, who played for Spain’s Toledo and Hercules, has announced his retirement after 16 years as a professional soccer player.

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 soccer.

“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.

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 the Liga MX, signing with the Guadalajara Chivas.

“I would have liked to leave Cruz Azul differently. I feel a lot of love for that team, in particular, because it allowed me to become a professional soccer player ... but I left in a less than elegant fashion due to a doping problem. I had to go to Spain without any guarantees and earn a (roster) spot,” Galindo said.

Galindo, who helped Mexico’s Santos Laguna win a title in 2012, finished his career with Toledo, a Spanish Second-Division club.

Last August, Galindo enrolled at Real Madrid’s sports management school with the goal of becoming a coach or team administrator.