FOOTBALL star Hani Ramzi, who played overseas more than any other Egyptian, is retiring. The announcement comes with immediate effect, according to the BBC online. The announcement was made by Ramzi's German club, Kaiserslautern, on Sunday. It said Ramzi will now be taking up a coaching career. The 35-year-old has been hampered by a knee injury for much of the last two years and looks unlikely to make a full recovery. His contract runs out at the end of the season and faced with the prospect of not making it back into the starting line-up, Ramzi decided to retire, the club said. According to the Bundesliga side, the defender will start a coaching course and will later join Kaiserslautern's junior coaching staff. Ramzi joined Kaiserslautern in 1998 after four years at Werder Bremen. He began playing in the Bundesliga 15 years ago, shortly after representing Egypt in the 1990 World Cup. An original product of Egypt's Ahli club, he has also won 124 caps for the Pharaohs.