Lille star Nabil Bentaleb may have to retire from professional football following his cardiac arrest earlier this month.

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Bentaleb suffers cardiac arrestUnderwent successful surgeryCould retire from professional footballWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was taken to hospital on June 18, and subsequently, Lille announced that the 29-year-old had to undergo surgery after suffering a cardiac arrest during a five-a-side match. He was treated with a cardiac defibrillator along with a “cardiac massage” at the incident spot before being transported to the hospital.

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According to RMC Sport, it now seems unlikely that the Algerian will be able to continue his footballing career due to the surgical intervention that was required. Nonetheless, they report that his medical reports will be passed on to the France Football Federation (FFF) for their investigation into the safety of the player in case of a continuance in the sport.

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Bentaleb joined Lille in the summer of 2023 and has a valid contract with the Ligue 1 side until the summer of 2026. If the Algerian ultimately decides not to continue his career, his running contract can be dissolved with the help of the club's insurance agencies, who protect both the club and the player in such cases.

WHAT NEXT FOR BENTALEB?

For the time being, Bentaleb will focus on making a healthy recovery before he decides what he wants to do with his career at the relatively young age of 29. The FFF's medical team will make suggestions to the Algerian based on their investigation, however, the final decision will remain with Bentaleb himself.