Unioner developed symptoms
According to his own experience, midfielder Morten Thorsby from 1. FC Union Berlin advocated an open approach to mental problems in professional football. “It’s something you have to work on just like you do in the weight room. A lot of players experience it,” said the Norwegian in a media interview on Thursday.
After a difficult season at Sampdoria Genoa and uncertainty about the sporting future, he developed “physical symptoms”. A “type of cyst” was removed during a stomach operation, Thorsby said. Mental stress is “like an elephant” in the cabin of the professional clubs, said the 26-year-old. The problem cannot be overlooked.
At the beginning of the year, Niklas Schmidt from Werder Bremen went public with his depression and thus addressed a topic that had not previously been discussed in German professional football (see January news). In Thorsby’s own words, “a lot of things came together. A difficult season in Italy. Then in the summer I didn’t know where I was going, I only got here late. It was very difficult mentally. I think I had some kind of burnout. It was just too much for me.” But now he feels better again.
Thorsby has made 30 appearances in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and Europa League so far this season after moving from Italy last summer. During his time in Berlin, the Norwegian national player appeared several times as a very reflective professional with a clear opinion on social issues. Among other things, he is actively involved in combating the climate crisis.
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