Former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has opened up about his battle with depression in recent years. The former Real Madrid player recently joined AC Milan in the summer, following Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 campaign, where he captained the team to a 2-1 victory over England in the final.
However, Morata has now revealed that just months before the tournament, his mental health struggles made him doubt whether he could continue his football career. Speaking to El Partidazo, Morata said: “When you face really tough times—depression, panic attacks—it doesn’t matter what job you do or what life situation you’re in, there’s another person inside you that you have to fight against every day and night. For me, leaving Spain was the best option; I couldn’t handle it.”
The striker made the switch to AC Milan from Atletico Madrid and has made a solid start at San Siro, scoring two goals in six games across all competitions.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
Reflecting on his time in Spain, Morata added: “I went through a really bad period. I thought I wouldn’t be able to put my boots on and step onto the pitch again. But thanks to a lot of people—Simeone, Koke, Miguel Ángel Gil, my psychiatrist, my coach—I got through it. What you see on TV and social media is often not the real story. You have to maintain an image because it’s your job. But I reached a point where I couldn’t even lace up my boots, and when I did, I would run home because my throat would close, and my vision would blur.
“Three months before the Euros, I was unsure if I’d be able to play another match. I didn’t understand what was happening to me, but it was complicated and delicate. The thing I loved most in the world became something I hated.
“Whenever I went out with my family, there was always some incident, sometimes unintentional, with people commenting on past games. Eventually, I stopped going out with my children because I was embarrassed by the things people would say to me in front of them. I became an easy target for jokes, and it was humiliating.”