“I’m still in therapy”
Iniesta talks about his depression
Poignant words from a superstar!
Barça legend Andrés Iniesta (38, now Vissel Kobe) speaks to the podcast “The Wild Project” about his bad depression, which has accompanied him throughout his career.
World champion (2010) and double European champion (2008, 2012) Iniesta admits emotionally: “I hugged my wife, but it felt like hugging a pillow. You don’t feel anything.”
For him, the best moment of the day was often when he swallowed a pill and was able to go to sleep. The playmaker, who became a legend at the latest with his 1-0 goal to win the 2010 World Cup for Spain against Holland, tells us that he is still in therapy today.
Iniesta: “I still go to therapy because I have to be at peace with myself. I enjoy listening to professionals talk about mental health and depression. You say to yourself: That’s not me. It is your body, but you have no life, no joy and no energy.”
“After all, life teaches you that depression and mental health can affect anyone. It’s not about material things. I could have had all the cars in the world and anything I wanted and it’s still hard to face life’s problems.”
His move from the Catalan series champion to Vissel Kobe in Japan in 2018 was particularly difficult for the midfield ace. After more than 22 years at Barça and a total of an incredible 674 games for the top club, he left the Mediterranean metropolis with a heavy heart.
According to his own statements, the depression was said to have been particularly bad there in the Far East, and the cultural change had weighed heavily on him.
His current contract with five-time Japanese champion Kobe runs until the summer of 2024, when Iniesta will be 40 years old.
His wish for the career afterwards? “I want to return to Barcelona as a coach or sporting director, but first I have to learn in different areas and then we’ll see,” said the midfielder.
In addition to his football career, Andrés Iniesta currently runs a winery (“Corazon Loco”, in English: “The Crazy Heart”) in his home town of Fuentealbilla, around 150 kilometers west of the port city of Valencia.
At Barça, the midfield director was Spanish champion nine times, won the Champions League four times (2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015) and gave 138 assists and played with world-class players such as Lionel Messi (35, now PSG), Ronaldinho (42) or also Thierry Henry (45) together.