Šimák signed off at Hannover

Hannover 96 midfield player Jan Šimák has been ordered to take an indefinite rest from football due to exhaustion.

Headed home
The 24-year-old Czech international, who joined Hannover on loan from Bayer 04 Leverkusen in June, returned to Germany last night from an unsanctioned stay in Prague. He had been away from the club for nearly a week.

Joint statement
Šimák, who cost Leverkusen a €6m fee before the start of the 2002/03 season, had reportedly threatened to retire but has been persuaded to rethink his decision. The two clubs issued a joint statement today saying Šimák had told them he could no longer stand the pressure of the professional game.

Treatment needed
Leverkusen doctor Karl-Heinrich Dittmar diagnosed an exhaustion syndrome and said the player needed treatment. The clubs agreed that he should be placed on the sick list. "Nervously and physically, he does not feel capable at the moment of supporting the pressure of professional football," the statement read.