BARCELONA legend Andres Iniesta has revealed his battle with severe depression after Barcelona won the Champions League.
The Spain great felt so low after his friend Dani Jarque died in 2009 he just “waited for the nights” so he could rest after taking medication.
Andres Iniesta says highs on the pitch were shared by a dreadful low off it in 2009 as he tried to cope with the death of a friendCredit: AFP OR LICENSORS
Barcelona and Spain icon Andres Iniesta said an emotional goodbye but also had dark times with depressionCredit: AFP OR LICENSORS
Andres Iniesta is now a star in Japan with Vissel KobeCredit: AFP
Midfielder Iniesta, 35, lifted the European crown four times and won the league nine times with Barca, whilst winning the World Cup and the European Championship twice on his way to 131 caps.
But in his upcoming documentary ‘The Unexpected Hero” he recalls his darkest time, when he could only live one day at a time.
Iniesta, who joined Japanese side Vissel Kobe two years ago, said: “I got to the point, especially at the start, I was waiting for the nights to come because I took medication and I could rest.
“It was that bad, I just wanted to rest.
“I had a very bad time. People close to me know it, I had very bad situations. Until you suffer it, you don’t know what it’s like.
“People have told me after my statements or seeing things I’ve done they felt better. I tell my experiences with total honesty.
ANDRES INIESTA
“I had a hard time but I never stopped training and took it one day at a time.”
And Iniesta believes the experience actually helped him grow as a person.
He added: “From there and with all the people I had around me I came out of this not the same person, but better.”
“My wife, my girlfriend at the time, never left my side. She would spend nights with me at my parent’s house.
“Those people and the ones that surround you help everything make sense. I am very thankful for all of them.”
Now he hopes going public will help others who are battling with similar issues.
He said: “People have told me after hearing my statements or seeing things I’ve done they have felt better.
“It is not my intention to say ‘look I helped 20,000 people’. I tell my experiences with total honesty.
“Whether they are good things or bad and from there, if I have helped people then I am twice as happy for it.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
