"Having hyperactivity leads to a person like me having anxiety"

The life of a footballer is not as rosy as it seems. The pressure to win, the atmosphere and injuries can take their toll on a player's head. Jose Maria Gimenez is well aware of this. The Uruguayan has been marked in recent years by continuous physical problems that have prevented him from having continuity on the pitch. But he arrives at full fitness for the tie against Borussia Dortmund.

The Atletico Madrid centre-back opened up in an interview in 'Marca' and spoke precisely about those problems that have prevented him from playing important games like the one against Inter Milan.

"I accept positive criticism. I have always said, I am a person who always looks beyond any negative or positive situation. Sometimes there are stones that are put in your way. You should never dwell on what happened. I choose to think about and rely on my family, who are my breadwinners. If I look at what's going on outside, I would go crazy," he confessed.

Living with continuous physical problems is not easy, as the Uruguayan says: "Having hyperactivity leads the body or a person like me to have anxiety in the end, it's normal. Anxiety plays a very important role in footballers' heads. There are many who really suffer from it and don't say it or don't know it. And they have a hard time. When you get those moments it's hard because it's something you can't fight. It eats you up inside and what you have to find is stability. Emotional stability is the most important thing in all this.

Despite all the injuries, Giménez is calm: "I feel the confidence of the coaching staff. They have always given me their support. When you come to Atletico and you know this coach, you know that nobody gives you anything to earn your place and that you have to earn it. When you do everything to be well, what doesn't depend on you, it hurts.

Gimenez is fully recovered and will play against Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals. "These are very important matches for us, as are all the matches of the year. But obviously, a match of this importance always has a special flavour. We know what it means for us and for our fans. We have to approach it in the best possible way and prepare well to get to the game".

 

April 7, 2024