John Terry announces his departure from Chelsea

The emblematic captain of Chelsea, John Terry, announced today that he will leave English football at the end of the season, as the "blue" team does not plan to offer him a contract renewal.

"Ideally I would have liked to stay, but the club is moving in a different direction," said the 35-year-old defender after the match in which Chelsea beat Milton Keynes Dons 5-1 as a visitor to advance to the round of 16 of the English Cup.

"It will not be a fairy tale ending. I will not retire at Chelsea, which took me a few days to accept," added the footballer in statements to English media.

Terry, who has won among other titles four Premier League, five English Cups, one Champions League, and one Europa League with Chelsea since his debut in 1998, said he will continue his professional career outside English football.

"I couldn't play for another Premier League team. It will be somewhere else, for sure," commented the former captain of the England national team.

"I feel like I'm playing well and I still have a few years ahead of me. It will simply be somewhere else," added Terry, who ruled out that his figure is irreplaceable at Chelsea.

"The club will move on. No player is bigger than the club. There is no doubt that they will sign one or two great center-backs."

Unlike last season, when he was an undisputed starter in the team that won the Premier League title, Terry is having a difficult campaign at the club and has lost space under the command of Jose Mourinho as well as his successor Guus Hiddink.

Terry arrived at the London club at the age of 14 and after his debut in 1998, he played 477 matches in the Premier League with Chelsea. In addition, he wore the English national team jersey 78 times.

Terry's departure joins the departure of other legends of English football in recent times, such as Steven Gerrard, who left Liverpool after 17 seasons and currently plays in the Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.

dpa