“My body stopped responding. I was throwing up every day and I was afraid I was going to die!”

The central defender with 81 matches, one goal and one assist in the shirt of AS Roma, who transferred him from Corinthians in 2012 for 5 million euros, recalled, in the interview for Gazzetta dello Sport, how his life changed on September 14, 2014, in the first half at Empoli.

The biggest I played with in Italy? I would say Totti, but… I also played with Ronaldo. Ronnie has always been my idol, it was incredible to share the dressing room with him. You could never catch him in the first four steps and he already had a belly!

Leandro Castan, former central defender of Roma

“Maicon went to Rudi Garcia and said: “Leo feels bad, change him!”. I left the field and never came back. The next day I woke up with a particularly bad headache. I went to the hospital and had an MRI. My body stopped responding, I was afraid I was going to die.

Leandro Castan had 100 games, one goal and two assists in Serie A at AS Roma, Torino and Cagliari / Photo: Imago

Castan: “I went from fighting for the title with Roma to being in a hospital bed fighting cancer! It was a nightmare”

At first, Roma didn't tell me anything, probably to protect me. I could tell they were worried and just told me to stay calm. When I found out, it was terrible.

I went from fighting for the Scudetto with the Giallorossi to being in a hospital bed fighting cancer. It was a nightmare.

I was throwing up every day, I had lost 15 kg in two weeks. My goal had become survival, football in those moments is in second place”.

Castan had to undergo surgery, but he did not give up the idea of ​​returning to the field. “I remember perfectly the first ball I tried to attack. I wanted to stop but it went under my leg. It was like I had no control over my body. A terrible feeling.

Leandro Castan, at a training session with Roma's captain, Francesco Totti / Photo: Imago

Many times I thought about giving up. I can't explain the disappointment in words. You don't recognize yourself, you want to reach a certain level, but you can't. During that time, I was always crying. And I even argued with my colleagues. Like that day with Dzeko in training…”

Edin turned and slapped me. I got it and after five minutes I came down hard on him, committing a nasty foul. He insulted me. Then, in the evening, I called him and apologized, and today we are good friends. It happened to Keita too. We had a fight in training, I was feeling sick and I immediately got fired up. Then, also with Seydou, but we reconciled in the dressing room

Leandro Castanformer central defender of Roma

Castan: “I felt humiliated by Spalletti. However, I don't think I'm the only one who has discussed this over time…”

Luciano Spalletti, the former Italy coach and the coach to be announced today by Juventus, was the one who broke his dream: “In the beginning, he gave me confidence. Then, after a terrible match against Verona, he decided not to let me play anymore.

He called me and told me that I had to go, that my level was Frosinone and therefore in Serie B. It was terrible, not so much for the decision made, but for the way he announced me. I felt humiliated. I don't think I'm the only one who has discussed this over time though…

AS Roma loaned him to Sampdoria, Torino and Cagliari, and in 2018 he did not extend his contract, Leandro returning to Brazil. He played four more seasons at Vasco da Gama, then retired in 2022 from Guarani.

Until two years ago, I couldn't even watch a game. My stomach was tightening. Now I started watching it again. Actually, I would like to coach. On the bench, I would like to recover what my bad luck took as a footballer
Every day I wonder why this happened to me. Cancer swept my dreams into the stands. I think I would have won the title with Roma and played in the World Cup with Brazil

Leandro Castanformer central defender of Roma