“I was smoking ten cigarettes a day and I arrived in alcoholic coma after five bottles of wine! I still take antidepressant pills!”

Matias Almeyda has always been a special character, often controversial, whether we are talking about the two decades spent in the grass as a defensive midfielder in a career started and ended at River Plate. Whether we refer to the coach, who took an upward trend with the move from Greece to Spain.

The ex-player of River Plate, FC Sevilla, Lazio, Inter, Parma and Brescia, with over 400 matches played and nine trophies won at clubs and with the national team, will lead on July 1 the Andalusian team, to which it has evolved for one season (1996-97), before transferring to Serie A.

“Chelul” and motto “I am a man and I have hot blood”

Almeyda, ironically nicknamed “Chelul” (he was known for his Plets!), Facing with Cristi Chivu and Adrian Mutu in Serie A, leads a life story with many episodes that have the gift of shocking.

The two scandals (especially the first on April 28, 2024!) From the derby that Aek Athens disputed with the rival PAOK, prepared by Răzvan Lucescu, were only the last in an unusual career.

The motto after which he was guided in over half a century of existence “I am a man and a hot blood flows through my veins” and this was seen 14 months ago, when he was fighting with everyone on the lawn, and even took to the beating and responded to the challenges of the salon.

Throughout my career I smoked ten cigarettes a day. Alcohol was also a big problem. I used to break everything in the way during workouts but I was living at the limit
Matias Almeydathe coach of FC Sevilla

Almeyda: “When I woke up and saw my whole family around the bed, I even thought it was my funeral!”

Matias Almeyda played in Italy in Lazio, Parma, Inter and, very little, in Brescia. Won the title, the Cups Cup plus Europe Super Cup with Lazio and three Cups of Italy at Parma, but He never really found his happiness until his boots in 2011 (after River Plate!) And to start the adventure of a technician, fixed at the club to which he launched as a footballer.

Matias Almeyda (Inter), in a duel with Francesco Toti, Captain Rome, in October 2003 / Photo: Imago

“Throughout my career I smoked ten cigarettes a day. Alcohol was also a problem. I used to break everything in training, but I was living at the limit. Once, in Azul, the hometown, I drank five liters of wine, like Coca Cola, and I arrived in ethyl coma!

409matches and 11 goals had Matias Almeyda as a player at River Plate, Lazio, Inter, Parma, Brescia, FC Sevilla, Lyn and Quilmes

To get back I ran five miles until I saw how the sun spins. A doctor put me on infusions for five hours. It would have been a big scandal, because I was playing at Inter.

When I woke up and saw my whole family around the bed, I thought it was my funeral! I really lived at the limit ”, The Argentinian tells in autobiography.

“At Inter, I had lost sensitivity on one half of the body!”

The lowest point, however, reached it because of a depression. Which Almeyda suffers today. “It all started in Milan. Two injuries held me too much on the cough. I consumed so hard that one day I did not feel my hand. The next day I had lost my sensitivity in half of the body.

Matias Almeyda, celebrating a goal scored by Fabio Cannavaro, along with Javier Zanetti and Marco Materazzi, in a league match of October 2022 / Photo: Imago

At Inter there is a psychologist. He consulted me and diagnosed my panic attacks. He prescribed me treatment, but I did not listen. I realized I had to do something only when my daughter drew me as a sad and tired lion. Since then I take antidepressants and drugs against anxiety every day. I call them the “pills” of goodness, they make me better! “.

When I was playing at Inter, a psychologist prescribed a treatment, but I didn't want to listen to his advice. My daughter once drew me as a lion having a sad and tired face
Matias Almeyda, FC Sevilla's coach

As Gazzetta dello Sport writes, the pills could not always help him. As for example, at Megascandal with Răzvan Lucescu's team from the spring of 2024., when he was involved in a field scum at the end of the incandescent derby with PAOK, lost by his team with 2-3 in the play-off.

“I will not change my way of being as a person. I respect everyone, but I also want to be treated as a human being.”

The storm started with a quarrel, after which Almeyda reacted violently to the challenge. The police intervened and tried to calm the spirits, but he could not hinder a beat at all, with his fists and feet! Some AEK's players wanted to immobilize their coach, but it was no way to stop the nerve crisis.

Matias Almeyda (Inter) receives a yellow card from Urs Meier at the match with Ajax in the Champions League / Photo: Imago

Matias threatened an rival, crushed to him, and grabbed his hands, seeming to want to shake him. Fortunately, the policemen caught Almeyda by his target, who was a security agent of the Touba stadium in Thessaloniki.

8TROPHEE has won Matias Almeyda in the 14 -year -old career as a coach: the title and Cup of Greece, the title of champion in the clause Plus Mexico Cup Apertura and Clausura, the Concacaf Champions League and two champion titles in Argentina

Only after an hour and a half was the technician of the Athenian band calm down, finding the courage to apologize. Although he acknowledged his mistake, Matias did not consider himself fully guilty: “Have you seen how many people were on the stadium? Who protects us on the ground? At one point, the referee told me that he couldn't believe his eyes.

I take responsibility, this cannot happen in football. It is not about winning or losing, but about respect.

They pushed me and I reacted. I am a man, and the blood boils me in my veins. I will not change my way of being as a person. I respect everyone and I want to be treated like a man. “