The World Cup Champion's Nightmare

Samuel Umtiti admitted that he fell into depression after winning the World Cup with France, to the point of being afraid of crowds and just wanting to hide from the world.

Samuel Umtiti admitted he fell into depression after winning the World Cup with the French team.

In 2018, Umtiti became one of the icons of French football when he started throughout the World Cup and contributed greatly to the championship. But the halo in Moscow turned out to be only a temporary cover-up of the smoldering tragedy inside. In the documentary “Têtes plongantes” just released on the platform of L'Équipe, the former Barcelona midfielder spoke honestly for the first time about his silent battle with depression, which made him afraid to leave the house, afraid to communicate and gradually lost the motivation to live.

“I suffered from it and didn’t dare to tell anyone,” Umtiti said in the interview. “But mental health is a very important issue in football, even though it’s still considered taboo. We made the film to help other people feel they can talk about it, especially young people.”

Umtiti retired in October, after a difficult journey through Barca, Lyon and Lille, and a string of persistent knee injuries. He admitted that past medical problems played a part in his spiral of depression, although he refused to go into further detail.

“It’s a very personal thing. I’ll talk about it when I’m ready,” he said. “There were a lot of factors involved, and I don’t think it was handled properly. But I’m not embarrassed anymore.”

Umtiti retired in October, after a difficult journey through Barca, Lyon and Lille, and a series of persistent knee injuries.

The world champion said that taking part in the documentary project helped him release things he had been holding back: “I never dared to talk about those topics. Connecting with people who have gone through the same thing has made me feel lighter. Sometimes I think: ‘Sam, there are worse things.’ Those moments help me face myself.”

Umtiti also has a message for those struggling with mental health: talk. He admits that he initially dismissed it as a fleeting phase that lasted a week, then a month, and eventually a year. The isolation made him sink deeper, which is why he spoke out.

“The most important goal of the film is to make young people understand: just speak up,” Umtiti stressed. “You will not be seen as different. Everyone has dark moments.”

From the man on top of the world, to the silent fighter, Umtiti's story reflects a cruel dark corner of top-flight football: where the light of the pitch is sometimes not enough to dispel the darkness in the mind.

Source: https://znews.vn/ac-mong-cua-nha-vo-dich-world-cup-post1608124.html