Real Madrid left-back Marcelo has revealed that he was wracked with anxiety prior to the 2018 Champions League Final against Liverpool.
The Spanish side were 3-1 victors, retaining their trophy, but the Brazilian has revealed that he suffered nerves like nothing he had experienced before pre-match.
“The pressure was the most intense before the Liverpool final,” Marcelo told The Players’ Tribune. “Maybe people will think that is strange.
“We had already won two trophies in a row. Everybody on the outside wanted Liverpool to win. So what’s the problem? Well, when you have a chance to make history, you feel that weight.
“But for some reason, I was really feeling it. I had never had such intense anxiety before, so I didn’t know what was happening. I thought about calling for the doctor, but I was worried that he wouldn’t let me play.
“And I had to play, 100 per cent. I had to prove something to myself. It felt like I had something stuck in my chest. This huge pressure. I am not talking about nerves.
“Nerves are normal in football. This was something different. I am telling you, brother, it felt like I was suffocating.
“Everything had started the night before the final. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking only of the match.”
