LEGEND'S CORNER | BEYOND THE FEARS – CLAUDIO MARCHISIO

A player's career is made up of many different moments . In the albums of memories , the topical ones stand out, rightly so, an infinite number of wonderful ones come to my mind, but I remember very well what is behind each of them. I remember the joy and the smiles, but I also remember the most difficult times.

I remember the fears . Fears and weaknesses are often almost hidden, masked, but they are part of our journey and, to win, we must cross them. overcome them . Each path has its own story, each player takes a different path, but if I have to identify some fears that, more or less, everyone experiences, I would choose three: the fear of defeat, the fear of injuries and the last one, the fear of quitting and writing the final word . I repeat, everyone faces them in his own way, everyone has his own path. I'll tell you mine .

THE RESULTS The most common fear is the one we've all had to deal with, the one that grips you when the results don't come . I remember, in particular, the years of the seventh places. We looked into each other's eyes and we were all great players, some a member of our national team, some a world champion. There were great talents, and yet… Thus, you found yourself wondering when you would come out of it and what you could do as an individual to help the group find each other again . These situations must be faced calmly, sometimes a spark is enough , even a game perhaps won by playing badly, but where you have brought out the team spirit can allow you to start putting some bricks on which to build the recovery. From these overcome fears, the winning groups can then be born.

Everyone faces these moments in their own way: there are those who externalize and need to talk and face certain problems and those who, on the other hand, keep everything inside. It's the locker room that makes the difference, everyone with their own experience. There are those who have already experienced similar situations and can set an example for overcoming them and those who, on the other hand, have not experienced them, I am thinking of the younger kids, whose light-heartedness can help. The right mix of these ingredients can be the difference between coming out of a difficult period or being overwhelmed.

After two difficult seasons, in the year of the first of nine Scudettos in a row, I think the turning point for us came in Juve-Milan. We started well that year, but also the previous seasons we had made a good start and then things didn't end well. We were playing against the Italian champions and we won that match, sending out a huge signal . It was not only the victory that gave that signal, but the way in which we managed to obtain it, conquering it on the field with an important domination in terms of play and intensity, creating a lot and conceding very little. Then it didn't come with Euro goals or incredible plays, but thanks to the determination and desire to bring the luck that had often been lacking on one's side. That victory, obtained with that spirit , gave us the conviction to say “ this year we are here”, and that conviction made the difference when, in the finale, we went through a less brilliant period. In the group those certainties never disappeared and they allowed us to go and get that championship.

THE INJURIES

You're alone. You on a couch while, around you, what is your world goes at its crazy speed between training sessions and matches. The locker room goes to another rhythm, while you have to slow down to find yourself. In everyday life you're used to relying on your teammates, in the locker room, but suddenly you realize you have to fight alone. These are the first sensations that keep you company when you find yourself facing a long injury .

Injuries are part of a player's career, captain, but that doesn't make them any easier to deal with. In those moments I think that family can give you strength . There's almost a natural reunion, they help you, they can go at your speed. Loved ones are those who in these moments allow you to absorb any fear.

When you deal with a long-term injury there is a natural reunion with your family. Loved ones help you through everything.

Claudio Marchisio

I remember my knee injury. I had started working for less than ten days and I was fine, I had the sensation of going fast, I was reacting well. Then I find myself facing a knee infection , the unexpected in the unexpected . I find myself under the knife again and have to start from the beginning. At that moment, I admit it, I was scared. Because I asked myself if I had done something wrong, if we had done something wrong at work. There it is essential to have a very strong inner balance , you have to accept that certain unexpected events happen, just like injuries, and those moments can only be overcome with sacrifice.

If you need time, you can't skip it, you have to take it and use it. You don't have to be in a hurry, nor do you have to settle down. The head rules the body, if you are strong you can overcome anything .

WITHDRAWAL But do you know what a footballer's greatest fear is? Stop being a footballer . Retirement is an extremely complex moment to manage. There is the risk of emotional collapse, you know that the adrenaline that makes you experience football you will never experience again, regardless of what you do afterwards.

Training sessions, matches every three days, different competitions, challenges, fans, the emotions that mix in a match, the pressure, the joy, the fear, everything suddenly disappears. Those adrenaline rushes that you had the honor of being able to breathe into your everyday life will no longer be there. This, no matter how much you've planned for your future, is undoubtedly the hardest thing to deal with. You know you can't go at the pace you used to, rationally you're aware of it, and even the moment you start playing you know that moment will come, but when you find yourself managing it it's another thing.

From my point of view, I think I was lucky . I decided to quit at a time when I was out of contract; therefore, I did not breathe every step towards goodbye. I didn't have a date circled in red on my calendar to get close to. I realized that every time I tried to accelerate to get back on the court my body couldn't take it anymore; therefore, saying enough was quite natural. I had prepared myself for what was going to happen, I knew that once I finished that path , I already had another one ready to take.