The ‘Saved’ program The Sixth This Sunday at 9:30 p.m. the report ‘Unforgiven’ is broadcast, a piece that addresses the stories of improvement of two former professional soccer players such as Dani Benítez and Julio Alberto. They both fell into addictions and explain to the presenter, Fernando González ‘Gonzo’, their stories of overcoming them and what it was like to get out of them.
In the case of Benítez, who was a Granada player in the First Division, everything changed when he tested positive for cocaine in an anti-doping test. Throughout the report, the Mallorcan takes a chronological look at the events: “At that time, everything didn’t matter to me. I was not happy and it also showed on the field. He had achieved what he wanted, which was to play in the First Division, and he had lost a little hope. I didn’t have the support I needed and, to escape that reality, I would hang out with friends and if I drank a couple of drinks, I would forget everything.”
For the former Granada footballer, the moment when his positive result was known was very hard: “I was a little short of breath and I realized that I had already lost everything.” To get past social rejection and the fall to hell, there is a day when Benítez asks himself: “Either I get out of the way or I make a radical change. I chose the second, it was difficult for me. The key was to forgive myself, if you don’t the demons come every night. I regained the illusion.”
There came a day when I asked myself: either I get out of the way or I make a radical change. I chose the second. The key is to forgive yourself.”
Now he plays soccer in the youth categories and is the commercial director of Faunny Bienestar Animal: “I am more proud of what I have now, which is a hundred times less than then, but happiness comes from within and cannot be equated with money. I have my family, my daughters, few friends but really, I can’t ask for more from life.”
As for Julio Alberto, former Barça and Atlético de Madrid player, he points out that one of the risks in the world of football is that “everything goes very fast” and that “anyone who approaches you can be seen as a friend.” without stopping to think about their intentions.”
Everything goes very fast. “You see as a friend anyone who approaches you without stopping to think about their intentions.”
The Asturian is “hurt” by the treatment received in the last 30 years: “When I read the same story again to remind me that I was wrong, it affects me. I have lived and gone through many things, success, failure, improvement, resilience; and I have been winning a battle that I am proud of.” “Life is one, we only have this opportunity,” he points out.
With the change he achieved, Julio Alberto believes that he was so focused on himself that he forgot about others. But now he has learned to “love more” and sees himself as a good father, a good son and a good friend: “I had an absence of affection and now I don’t.”
#Dani #Benítez #Julio #Alberto #stories #overcoming #Salvados #key #forgive
