In a candid and moving interview, forward Richarlison shared heavy accounts of his battle with depression.
The athlete made revelations of dark moments he faced after the World Cup and the crucial importance of psychological support in his journey of overcoming.
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Endless sadness
After the end of the World Cup, Richarlison found himself plunged into a deep emotional crisis;
The player admitted that he reached the point of considering giving up football, an idea that brought him great sadness, especially when confronting his father, who dedicated tireless efforts to make his dreams a reality;
Feeling at the breaking point, he confessed that he was in a state of depression, impacted not only by the criticism he faced after the tournament but also by personal issues that arose within his inner circle.
Player’s quotes
“After the World Cup, I would go to practice and already wanted to go back home, to my room. I don’t know what was going on in my head. I even told my father that I was going to give up football. It’s sad even to talk about it. Only I know what I went through after the World Cup, and they even discovered things here at home from people who lived with me for over 7 years. It’s crazy. And to go to my father, who chased after my dreams, and tell him that I want to give up is insane. I had just competed in a World Cup, I was at my peak,” he said in an interview with ESPN.
Richarlison also emphasized the crucial importance of psychological support in his recovery journey. He acknowledged that, although initially skeptical about therapy, his psychologist was instrumental in helping him overcome the negative and self-destructive thoughts that plagued him.
Negative thoughts
The player revealed that, at a dark moment, his internet searches were predominantly about dark and death-related topics, a pattern of behavior that he recognizes as a warning sign to seek professional help.
“I was at my breaking point, I was in depression, wanting to give up. The criticism I faced after the World Cup and these personal problems at home affected me a lot. Suddenly I, who seemed mentally strong, after the World Cup it felt like everything collapsed. The psychologist saved my life because I was only thinking nonsense. On Google, I only searched for nonsense, only wanted to see nonsense, about death. And today I can say: seek a psychologist, it is very important and saves lives. I had this prejudice before, thought it was nonsense… Even in my family there are people who have this prejudice. But I discovered this and found it wonderful, the best discovery of my life,” he revealed.
Richarlison was called up for the friendlies against England and Spain that have already taken place, however, he did not enter any of the matches. Dorival Júnior opted for other options on the bench.
