Gloucester prop Christian Califano will be looking to go out on a high at the end of this season by winning a second Heineken Cup winners medal 12 years on from his first.
The 35-year-old French international, who won the last of his record French caps for a prop of 71 against New Zealand in 2007, has confirmed he will quit at the end of the season when his contract at Kingsholm ends.
A veteran of 57 European matches (43 in the Heineken Cup and 15 Challenge Cup) he played in the very first Heineken Cup match when Toulouse met Romanian champions Farul Constanta in the unlikely surrounds of the Black Sea Resort on 31 October, 1995.
Tolouse went on to clinch the inaugural title in Cardiff on 7 January, 1996 and Califano will be hoping to steer Gloucester back to the Welsh capital for the Cardiff 2008 final at the Millennium Stadium. The west countrymen meet Munster in the quarter-finals on Saturday, 5 April, and will move on to play either Saracens or the Ospreys in the semis if they win at Kingsholm.
"Honestly, this is my last year. I am going to end this chapter of my life with the best spirit possible," said Califano, who played for Auckland, Saracens and Agen after leaving Toulouse.
"I have been lucky to belong to three major clubs in my career - Toulouse, Auckland and Gloucester. It has been great for me and I will leave the game with many happy moments and great souvenirs."
