Former Italy defender Gianluca Zambrotta has revealed he'll need a prosthetic leg having been diagnosed with a disease that affects the knees.
Zambrotta's Career
Zambrotta was a hugely successful full-back who starred for top sides including Juventus, Barcelona and AC Milan, and won the World Cup.
He made six appearances for Italy during their 2006 triumph as they beat France in the final in Germany.
Zambrotta announced his retirement eight years later, but recently spoke on a medical condition that's affected his post-career fitness.
Genu Varum
Genu varum, also referred to as bow legs, is a disease that sees legs curve outwards into a bow-like shape at the patient's knees.
It's more common amongst children but 48-year-old Zambrotta has been affected and now revealed the severity of his condition.
Speaking on the BSMT podcast, as quoted by the Daily Mail, he said: "Over time, my legs have become bowed.
"During my career, I didn't have any major injuries. I've had three operations on my internal menisci [cartilage inside the knee joint].
"Currently, I don't have them on either the left or the right, so over time, my legs have become bowed and today, I'm a laboratory model for many surgeons."
Zambrotta also said 'doctors look at [him] and ask how [he walks]', before adding: "In a few years, I will have to wear a full prosthesis."
"The problem has worsened over time, due to both some genetic exposure and the lack of internal menisci," he further explained.
"And so perhaps I should have started working on it earlier. I will soon have surgery on both knees.
"I have visited three or four leading surgeons nationwide, and they can't explain to me how I can have these knees or how I can engage in physical activities like padel tennis, for example."
When detailing the surgery he will undergo, Zambrotta said: "I'll have to have an osteotomy.
"Basically, they'll straighten my legs by cutting small pieces of bone above and below and inserting plates to try to avoid having to get a full prosthesis now, although I'll have to get one in a few years."
Club Career
Zambrotta started his career at boyhood club Como and then signed for Bari before Juventus welcomed him in 1999.
He featured 297 times for the Italian football colossus and won the Serie A title twice alongside the Italian Super Cup.
The defender signed for Barcelona in 2006 following his World Cup win with Italy but spent just two years in Spain.
Zambrotta returned to Italy, this time with AC Milan as he won the Serie A and Italian Super Cup titles once again.
His final club was in Switzerland with Chiasso, for whom he became a player-manager ahead of his retirement in 2014.
Another coaching stint followed at Indian Super League side Delhi Dynamos before he was an assistant at Jiangsu FC in China.
