Brazilian great Ronaldo reveals his battle with depression
Ronaldo has revealed he is in therapy after a battle with depression as the Brazilian great lamented how mental health issues were 'absolutely ignored' during his playing days.
The former PSV, Barcelona, Inter and Real Madrid superstar was widely recognized as one of the best players of his generation.
Ronaldo appeared in four World Cups with Brazil and won both the Golden Boot and Silver Ball in their 2002 success, having played no part in the Selecao triumph in 1994.
But he remarkably only won two domestic league titles (both in La Liga with Madrid) as his career was hampered by injuries.
In a new documentary on DAZN, Ronaldo discussed mental health in football with former Madrid and Brazil team-mate Roberto Carlos.
And 'O Fenomeno' was asked about his own struggles in an interview with Marca, confirming he had suffered from depression.
"Today I'm in therapy," Ronaldo said. "I've been in therapy for two and a half years and I understand myself much better than before.
"But again, I'm from a generation where you were thrown into the arena and 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 great mental strain and without any preparation for it.
"Also because it was the beginning of the internet age, with the speed at which information travels. At that time, we did not worry about the mental health of the players.
"Today, players are much better prepared, they receive the medical care they need to face the daily grind, and the 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 knew all our lives that football can cause a lot of stress and be very decisive for the rest of our lives."
He added, "The reality is that we didn't even know this kind of problem existed. It was absolutely ignored by our generation.
"Many, of course, 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 has revealed he is in therapy after a battle with depression as the Brazilian great lamented how mental health issues were 'absolutely ignored' during his playing days.
The former PSV, Barcelona, Inter and Real Madrid superstar was widely recognized as one of the best players of his generation.
Ronaldo appeared in four World Cups with Brazil and won both the Golden Boot and Silver Ball in their 2002 success, having played no part in the Selecao triumph in 1994.
But he remarkably only won two domestic league titles (both in La Liga with Madrid) as his career was hampered by injuries.
In a new documentary on DAZN, Ronaldo discussed mental health in football with former Madrid and Brazil team-mate Roberto Carlos.
And 'O Fenomeno' was asked about his own struggles in an interview with Marca, confirming he had suffered from depression.
"Today I'm in therapy," Ronaldo said. "I've been in therapy for two and a half years and I understand myself much better than before.
"But again, I'm from a generation where you were thrown into the arena and 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 great mental strain and without any preparation for it.
"Also because it was the beginning of the internet age, with the speed at which information travels. At that time, we did not worry about the mental health of the players.
"Today, players are much better prepared, they receive the medical care they need to face the daily grind, and the 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 knew all our lives that football can cause a lot of stress and be very decisive for the rest of our lives."
He added, "The reality is that we didn't even know this kind of problem existed. It was absolutely ignored by our generation.
"Many, of course, 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."
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