Article by David Marinescu – published on Thursday, April 17, 2025 20:12 / Updated Thursday, April 17, 2025 20:25
Irina Manea, Cristi Manea's wife from Rapid, reacted to the news the death of the striker Aaron Booupendzaextinguished from life after falling from the 11th floor of the block where he lived in China.
Gabonese Aaron Booupndza, between September 2024 and January 2025 player at Rapid București, died on Wednesday under still unexpected conditions. From the end of January, the former 5 goals striker for Rapid was legitimized to the Chinese band Zhejiang FC.
Among the variants taken into account by investigators are suicide. The only scenario excluded so far by the authorities is that of a crime.
Gabon press claims that Boupendza did not feel psychically well in the weeks before tragedyeven requesting specialized help.
In this context, Irina, the wife of a former colleague of Aaron at Rapid, Cristi Manea, has published a series of messages in which she demands the way of managing the mental health of the footballers.
Irina, Cristi Manea's wife: “The footballers' psychic is completely ignored! What happened to Aaron should not be repeated”
“Maybe the tragedy of Aaron Booupendza will sound an alarm signal in our country … In the performance sport, the body is trained daily – sometimes even twice a day – But the psyche is completely ignored.
Players are exposed to immense pressure, strict rules, huge disappointments, injuries … and above all, people's comments. You have a good match – you're a king. You are wrong – you are the weakest. And yes they see, they feel.
They also have personal problems, but without having a personal life. Always leave, far from family, missing from important events.
It's a privilege to do what you love and be paid well, but it's not enough. Most see only the benefits, not the difficulties, tears, hard nights.
The brain must also be trained. Psychological support is vital.
What happened to Aaron should not be repeated. We never know what's in someone's soul, even in those we admire.
Rest in peace, Aaron, ”is shown in Cristi Manea's first message.
Irina Manea: “To teach men that it is ok to feel, to speak, to cry”
Irina continued:
“What I think is the saddest thing is that, in general, men are taught as little as they have to be strong. That it is not ok to ask for help. That” the boys don't cry. “
The pressure on them is huge, especially those who reach performance.
I know how many comments I get to me, which I don't even have a direct connection with the sport world. I don't even want to think about how much I get to them.
And how many of them do not say anything … because either they begin to believe those comments, or I think “they have to be men” and they are not allowed to complain.
That has to change. Let's be people. Let's understand. Let's help, not judge.
You never know how loud I can hurt some words.
Let's be better. To value those around us. And to teach men too, it's ok to feel. It's ok to talk. It's ok to cry. “
