Andrea Barzagli has spoken at length about the injury hell which threatened to end his career, as he makes his return to the Italy squad.

The centre-back missed the first six months of the season as he struggled with an achilles injury, but has recently returned to the Juventus and Azzurri fold.

“It’s been a very long and difficult road,” Barzagli admitted in a Press conference ahead of Italy’s Euro 2016 qualifier with Bulgaria.

Andrea Barzagli has spoken at length about the injury hell which threatened to end his career, as he makes his return to the Italy squad.

The centre-back missed the first six months of the season as he struggled with an achilles injury, but has recently returned to the Juventus and Azzurri fold.

“It’s been a very long and difficult road,” Barzagli admitted in a Press conference ahead of Italy’s Euro 2016 qualifier with Bulgaria.

“Not just in terms of the national team, but also not playing with my teammates at club level. It’s been a period of ups and downs, but thankfully it seems like it’s over.

“The worst moment? My operations was successful, then I undermined that in mid-September when – after having stopped for various pains – I started running again after seven days.

“I was wrong [to do that] and they told me I had a stress fracture on the bone which was operated on.

“The world fell in on me, it was a huge blow.

“I thought of giving up, but instead I threw myself into the recovery program so I could get it done quickly, and today here I am.

“I’ve now played three games in a row, which explains my call-up. I feel good. Some days I thought I’d never be able to play, with the pain I had, then some days I woke up fine and my mood changed.

“Until I returned to working with my teammates permanently, I struggled. For six or seven months I was limping just going to the bathroom, it definitely wasn’t the best.

“I was talking to some of my friends at Juventus, there were times when I felt like a stranger in the team, because I wasn’t experiencing the everyday moments of togetherness with them.

“It’s not the same watching the game at the stadium, you feel almost detached.

“That said, there are worse things in life. I was supported by my wife and children, and now I’m here. I’m the happiest man in the world right now.”

Bygaby

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