The shocking testimony of a former Real Madrid star » “I set a record in one day. I drank 70 beers”

When he was a teenager, he first tasted beer at a party with friends, he claims. The Brazilian Cicinho played for Real Madrid between January 2006 and August 2007

Cicinho, revelations from the period in Rome: “I set a record. I drank 70 beers”

Cicinho went public with the fact that drinking led him to get 25 tattoos because he was afraid of needles and didn't want to feel the pain.

“The older I got and the more I earned, the more I drank. In Rome I set a record in one day – 70 beers, 15 caipirinhas (no Brazilian cocktail) and two packs of cigarettes,” he revealed.

During his prime, he also played for Real Madrid, albeit for just one season. Later, he moved to the Italian capital, where he played for the local club AS. He came from Spain with an injured knee and a higher blood alcohol level than expected. His villa in Rome soon became the scene of parties until four in the morning: “I would get up at eight and go to practice.”

He overcame depression and addiction thanks to his wife. He currently lives in Sao Paulo, is an analyst and TV commentator, has been sober for 14 years and, ten months ago, also started serving as an evangelical pastor.

“My wife, Marry, took me to church for the first time in Rome. Today I lead services, I talk about the story of Jesus. I believe deeply in God. He helps you to cleanse yourself of evil,” he said, adding that when he first tasted beer, he fell in love with her, as if she were a woman.

“I got home at five in the morning without my parents knowing. And the next day I was fine, I could even train.”

Cicinho: “At 17 I even started smoking cigarettes”

The Brazilian lost control when he arrived at Botafogo in 2001 and drinks around 20 beers and ten cocktails a day. “At 17 I even started smoking cigarettes. But that's how I saw football, I wanted to get to the top, make a lot of money and enjoy it.”

When he arrived at Real Madrid, he was considered a new hope, but he confidently believed that he could party endlessly. “I bought cars, clothes and had parties at home. I almost never went out, because in Madrid there were paparazzi everywhere. So I was drinking straight in my villa with my friends,” he continued.

After a year, he transferred to AS Roma, being persuaded by Francesco Totti. When he got injured in 2009, he started drinking too much again. “That's when I realized I was suffering from depression, even though I didn't want to admit it at the time,” he stated.

He revealed that he hated sleeping as he liked to “hang out” with friends. One of them owned a restaurant on the beach, but someone saw him there and reported him, and word reached the club. “They were mad at me, but then my contract was up,” he revealed.

Cicinho's CV

• Cicinho retired from football in 2018 due to knee problems;

• He had spells at Botafogo (2001), Atletico Mineiro (2002-2003), Sao Paulo (2003-2006), Real Madrid (2006-2007), AS Roma (2007-2012), Villarreal (2011-2012, loan), Sport Recife (2012-2013), Sivasspor (2013-2016) and Brasiliense. (2017-2018);

• Won the Copa Libertadores and the 2005 Club World Cup with Sao Paulo before moving to Real Madrid;

• He won the Confederations Cup in 2005 with Brazil and was part of the national team for the World Cup in Germany, 2006.