Ronaldo is recognized as one of the greatest footballers in history. During his career he played, among others, for Inter Milan and Real Madrid, and with the Brazilian national team he was twice world champion: in 1994 and 2002. In addition, he received twice the Golden Ball for the best footballer in the world.

Ronaldo is shocking ‘I was depressed’

Ronaldo was interviewed by the daily “Marc” on the occasion of the documentary “The Phenomenon: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of Ronaldo” about himself. In the film, the Brazilian talks about mental health with his friend Robert Carlos. Ronaldo admitted that he had to deal with depression in the past, and that in the past footballers’ mental health was far too sloppy. – I look back and see that we were exposed to very, very great mental stress without any preparation. Also because it was the beginning of the internet era, with the speed at which information travels. During this period, there were no concerns for the mental health of the players. This subject has been completely ignored by our generation. I’m going to therapy now. I have been doing it for 2.5 years and I understand much better what I felt before – admitted “El Fenomeno” in an interview with “Marc”.

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– Today, the players are better prepared. They receive the necessary medical assistance even to cope with daily difficulties. They are more studied: the profiles of each of them, how they react, how they should react. There was nothing like it in my day. It is true that the problems were very obvious, but the solutions were not readily available – said the former footballer.

Currently, Ronaldo Nazario is the majority owner of Real Valladolid, which ranks 13th in the Spanish La Liga. In December 2021, he also invested around $70 million in Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte, where he started his football career. “I want to take the Cruzeiro to where it deserves to be,” Ronaldo said of his investment goal.

You need help?

Do you need psychological help? Do not hesitate to ask. Below is a list of phone numbers that people who want help can call (we quote it from the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights):

800 220 280 the Find Help Foundation helpline (Monday to Friday, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) for people in mental crisis related to the coronavirus pandemic;

800 100 102 a psychological support hotline launched by the Territorial Defense Forces (7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., free);

22 230 22 07 a psychological support line run by the Polish Red Cross (daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) – employees provide psychological first aid through conversation and psychoeducational activities;

116 111 – Helpline for Children and Youth, contact us on the free number 116 111. You can also describe your problem in the message;

510 260 554 or 517 360 159 Mokotow Mental Health Center helpline run by the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.).