Inter legend Ronaldo says he’s been in therapy for two and a half years and reveals Zinedine Zidane’s surprise after his first knee injury.
The ex-Brazil striker has released an interview with Marca where he discussed mental health issues related to football and football players.
“Today, I am in therapy. I have been in therapy for two and a half years and I understand myself much better than before,” he said.
“I’m from a generation in which you were thrown into the arena and you had to do your best without the slightest hint of drama. I look back and I see that yes, we were exposed to a very very big mental strain and without any preparation for it.
“Also because it was the beginning of the internet era, with the speed at which information travels. At that time there was no concern about the mental health of the players,” the ex-Inter and Milan striker continued.
“Today players are much better prepared, they are given the medical attention they need to face the day to day, and players are studied more: the profiles of each player, how they react, how they should react.
“In my time there was none of that, unfortunately, because we have known all our lives that soccer can cause a lot of stress and be very decisive for the rest of our lives.”
“The reality is that we didn’t even know this kind of problem existed. It was absolutely ignored among our generation.
“Many, obviously, have gone through terrible times, even depression, because of the lack of privacy, the lack of freedom. It is true that the problems were very obvious, but the solutions were not very available.”
Ronaldo joined Inter in 1998 and scored 59 goals in 99 games with the Nerazzurri. However, his time at the Stadio Meazza was heavily affected by two severe knee injuries which forced him to the sidelines for nearly three years.
Zidane, a former Juventus star, visited Ronaldo at the hospital after his first injury, a meeting that the Brazilian legend will never forget.
“I have a special bond with Zizou, I respect him so much. We faced for the first time when he was playing for Juventus and I was at Inter,” he said.
“From that moment, we’ve begun a relationship of mutual respect. We didn’t have many connections when I injured my knee, but it was a great surprise to see him visit me at the hospital. He was the first person outside my family to do it.”
What did Zizou tell him?
“‘Recover soon because football needs you.’ We chat a little and it gave me so much joy to spend time with him in such a difficult moment.”
Ronaldo and Zidane eventually became teammates at Real Madrid.
The striker joined the La Liga giants in 2002 for €45m after winning the World Cup with Brazil. Zidane had arrived in the Spanish capital a year earlier from Juventus for 150b Italian Lira, circa €75m, becoming the most expensive player ever at that time.
Ronaldo is now the owner of the Spanish club Real Valladolid and the Brazilian Cruzeiro.