I was in deep depression for four years

The former Barcelona and Valencia defender spent four years in deep depression after a knee injury forced his retirement in 2020, crediting his wife with helping him recover.

Jérémy Mathieu has opened up about a severe four-year battle with depression following his forced retirement in 2020. The 43-year-old French defender, who played for Barcelona and Valencia, was forced to end his career after suffering a serious knee injury while at Sporting Lisbon.

"Everything stopped suddenly," Mathieu said in an interview with SoFoot. "I was wearing a knee brace and couldn't do much. Then I entered a downward spiral. I went through depression, there's no denying it. I missed the pitch, the dressing room, everything we had lived through."

Mathieu revealed he spent four years largely confined to his home, losing interest in football itself. He credited his wife with helping him overcome the depression, though he did not seek professional psychological help, instead relying on his determination as a fighter to work through it. He is now a coach for the Aix-en-Provence Under-15 team.