Prague - Former Czech football international Vladimir Smicer announced that he was ending his active career, reports said Tuesday.

Smicer, 36, a Slavia Prague veteran midfielder, said after a Monday game with Viktoria Plzen that a painful knee injury does not allow him to play as well as he wished to, Slavia's website said.

"My head and heart still want to (keep playing), but unfortunately my body is against it," the website cited him as saying after the Monday draw.

Smicer however plans to remain in Czech football. He accepted an offer to work as a manager for the Czech national team, the Czech Republic's Football Association said.

In a highlight of his career, Smicer won the Champions League in 2005 when playing for Liverpool. He played for the Czech national team between 1993 and 2005, winning 81 caps and scoring 27 goals. (dpa)