Alvaro Morata has opened up about some of the mental battles that he has faced during his career and why it drove him away from Spain and towards AC Milan in the end.
Morata joined Milan during the summer transfer window after captaining Spain to a European Championship triumph in Germany, and he has so far scored twice for the Rossoneri since arriving from Atletico Madrid.
The 31-year-old gave an interview back in July in which he opened up about some of the struggles he has had in Spain, admitting that in his eyes it would be better for him to leave the country and go somewhere that he feels more appreciated and respected.
Morata has now given an interview to COPE in which he spoke about his battles with depression and why it forced him to leave his home country, with his comments relayed by Calciomercato.com.
“When you go through really difficult moments, like depression or panic attacks, it doesn’t matter what job you do or what situation you find yourself in in life, you have a person inside you that you have to fight against every day and every night,” he said.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to put my boots on and go out on the pitch again. I received a lot of help from people, like [Atletico Madrid head coach, Diego] Simeone, Koke and [Atletico president] Miguel Angel Gil, and my psychiatrist.
“We are what you see on TV and on social media, but often that’s not real. You have to present an image because it’s your job. I went through a really hard time, I broke down, and there came a point where I couldn’t even tie my boots. And when I did, I ran home because my throat would close up, and I’d start seeing things blurry.”
“Three months before the Euros, I was wondering if I would be able to play another game. I didn’t know what was happening to me, but it was very complicated and delicate. At that moment, you realize that the thing you love most in the world is the thing you hate the most, and that’s tough.”
“Every time I went out with my children, I would have some episode, sometimes unintentionally, with people saying things about past games. And in the end, they didn’t even want to go grocery shopping, normal things a father does with his kids. There came a time when people said so many things in front of them that I felt ashamed to be with them. I became an easy joke, a joke to make people around them laugh.”
“At first, I thought I would stay, and I really wanted to stay at Atlético. But I realised during an interview where I said I didn’t know if I would continue with the national team because of age or other things outside of football… and that caused a stir. Some people wrote things, and in my opinion, some news was exaggerated. I realized that doesn’t happen to me in Italy.”
Omg. Football players are not robots paid millions to sht up? They have feelings, addictions, mental problems? Shocking. Some here will be mad to learn that the era of gladiators is gone.
Everyone has issues. At least they are getting well compensated unlike the other 99%.