At the last World Cup in Qatar, Richarlison scored three goals to help Brazil reach the quarter-finals. The Tottenham forward was among the Canaries’ best players. In matches, he managed to create, finish and help the team with his combativeness. In short, he was dominant. But now he admitted that it was only a mask.
In the group and in the round of 16, Richarlison averaged one goal per game. However, he did not make it in the quarter-finals against Croatia, and Brazil lost 1:2 on penalties. Maybe that’s why the elimination hit him so hard. “It seemed that I was mentally strong, but after the championship everything fell apart,” he admitted in an interview with the Brazilian version of ESPN television. “After the elimination, I felt like I lost a family member. I had no motivation to go on.”
The quarterfinal crash had a significant impact on the personal life of the twenty-six-year-old player. “I was completely empty. Black thoughts seized me. I guess I can’t talk about wanting to commit suicide, but I was in a huge depression. I wanted to give up everything,” he recounted.
Richarlison opens up about his depression after the 2022 World Cup and how therapy helped himpic.twitter.com/YdAwSULrYp
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) March 27, 2024
The outwardly confident Richarlison had to start solving problems with experts. “I played in the World Cup in a Brazilian jersey. I achieved something that I had dreamed of since I was a child. That’s why the impact was so hard. I definitely wouldn’t have coped with it without a therapist. I dare say that he saved my life.” said the Brazilian striker.
The help of a psychologist also helped the 26-year-old attacker on the field. After an unsuccessful first season in the Spurs jersey, in which he scored only one goal, Richarlison jumped back on the wave and with ten goals he is the team’s second best scorer.
Croatia – Brazil 2:1p
09.12.2022 16:00
Goals: 116. Bruno Petković – 105+1. Neymar
More information about the match
“Sessions with a therapist saved me. I can recommend them to anyone dealing with problems of a similar nature. It is important to talk about problems and open up to someone. I can confirm from my experience that it saves lives,” concluded Richarlison.
The article was originally published for eFotbal.
