Author: Barkha Roy
Richarlison, the Brazilian international striker, spoke about the recent off-field challenges that are weighing on his mind, as well as his goal drought. He revealed that he plans to seek psychological help when he returns to England, where he plays for Tottenham Hotspur.
Although Richarlison didn’t go into detail about his personal problems, he acknowledged that the last few months had been challenging for him off the pitch and expressed relief that the worst was over:
“On the pitch, I’m a happy guy, a team player, always trying to help as much as I can. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to, and I think that’s partly due to off-field problems that ended up affecting me. Even when you try to do things right, they go wrong. I’m going to concentrate on my club; the storm has passed“, said Richarlison, then added: “I’ve been through a turbulent time over the last five months off the pitch. Now things have settled down at home. The people who were only interested in my money have moved away from me. Things will start to flow now, and I’m sure I’ll have a good run at Tottenham and make things happen again.”
Richarlison recently split up with his long-time agent, Renato Velasco, who had been with him since the start of his career. He also went through a challenging period at his club following his return from the World Cup.
Last Friday, he was visibly emotional on the bench after being substituted during the 5-1 win over Bolivia.
“This sad moment wasn’t even because I played badly; in my opinion, I didn’t play a bad match in Belém. It was more an outburst for the things that had been happening off the pitch, things that were out of my control, not on my part, but involving people close to me,” he explained. “I will go back to England, seek psychological help from a therapist and work on my mental game. That’s the plan, to come back stronger. I believe I’ll be in the next convocation [da equipe nacional]. I’m going to work for it. I need a good sequence at Tottenham. I’m meeting with them this week; I need a good run of games and to arrive here in good shape.”
Richarlison, who wears Brazil’s number 9 shirt, scored twice in the 1-0 win over Peru in Lima, but the goals were disallowed for offside.
“I scored the goal, but unfortunately it didn’t count. What matters is the team’s victory. I’m happy to be back in the national team shirt, playing and being happy. It’s important to have a good campaign at Tottenham. This difficult phase will pass. It’s just bad luck. But that’s part of soccer, and I’ll keep working hard, and things will happen for me again. I know my potential, I know what I’m capable of; the important thing is to keep working hard.”
The Brazilian team’s next match will be on October 12, when they face Venezuela in Cuiabá. The team will then travel to Montevideo to face Uruguay.