In an interview with Italian You Tube sensation Marco Montemagno, Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia revealed that there was a time where he felt he was unable to play football any longer.
“The private life of a footballer has changed a lot recently with phones and cameras, you can never rest assured, even when you are in a restaurant with your family, but when you play you do not think about anything,” he started.
“I had a very complicated period a few years ago when the team was not doing so good and I was a captain.
“It took me many years for me to clean up the idea that people had about me. At that moment, I felt like I was no longer able to play and I thought that I was a fool. I then went to England and was able to regain my focus and I started a journey with a person who gave me a helping hand and I rebuilt myself all over again.”
The Italian defender then went on to discuss how his footballing life started.
“I started at 5 years old but I never thought about becoming a professional, I just simply played with my friends. I thought about having fun, then I had trials and people noticed me and my career started from there.”
He then spoke on his arrival at Inter back in 2011.
“I was with Genoa in Rome and I had no idea about it. I was at lunch with the team and the manager alerted me that Preziosi wanted me on the phone. He told me that they sold me to the Inter and I had to leave.
“I was joining the team who had just won the Triplete. For me it was like getting to play with Roger Federer or LeBron James when I got to Inter as I was getting to play with champions and they really made me grow.
“It really makes you understand how to interpret the game. They did not accept failure.”
The 31-year-old then went on to reveal what his typical day looks like.
“I get up at 8.30, I have breakfast at home or at Appiano Gentile. Then I get ready for training with bandages and massages and go to the gym.
“We then all meet with the coach to discuss the game, we watch video footage and then do about an hour of training. Afterwards we ice ourselves, do cryotherapy and have lunch.”
