Ezequiel ‘Pocho’ Lavezzi, the Argentine striker who triumphed in Europe with Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), has given an interview to ‘Corriere della Sera’ in which he explains his tough experience in which he hit rock bottom due to alcohol abuse.
The 40-year-old, who was a World Cup runner-up with Argentina in 2014, confessed that he “experienced darkness” and spoke about his mental health problems stemming from his addictions.
I experienced darkness. I was hurting myself. I alternated between depression and anxiety attacks. I was never lucid, my head was full of negative thoughts
Lavezzi asked for help and, after spending some time in hospital to recover, he managed to get his life back on track thanks to his family and the birth of his second son, Vittorio.
I give advice to anyone who suffers like this: ask for help
“A deep sense of unease, I experienced darkness. I was hurting myself. Both myself and my loved ones. I alternated between depression and anxiety attacks. I was never lucid, my head was full of negative thoughts,” he recalled.
Lavezzi: “I had hit rock bottom, I couldn’t stand to see myself like that anymore”
Lavezzi explains that “I had hit rock bottom, I could no longer stand to see myself like that. Thanks to the support of my wife and my family, I put myself in the hands of psychologists and other specialists at a clinic. My process is not over. I give advice to anyone who suffers like this: ask for help,” he explained.
The former footballer, who hung up his boots in 2020 at the age of 34, shared his “pride in having managed to accept and then face my fragility. And also gratitude: being so ill changed me as a person. I am a more aware and mature man. Sometimes you can’t know the light without having seen the darkness,” he said.
Lavezzi: “Football saved me”
Lavezzi wanted to explain why he retired from football at the age of 34: “I was tired, I felt it was time to stop and I wanted to do it while I was still at the highest level. It was a gesture of respect towards football. Football saved me,” he said.
About his future after overcoming his addictions and mental health problems, he explained that “I want to be someone who does not forget what he has lived through, who knows how to appreciate simplicity and enjoy his family. I want to live. I am lucky to have two children, the greatest gift in life,” he said.
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