The ‘Álvaro Morata Case’ and what the football world could learn from it

Morata broke through as a talented youngster at Real Madrid, being an understudy to Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, with both players still in their prime, Morata left the club and went on a different journey. Despite having a better resume and goalscoring record than many other strikers, Morata has always received criticism. He isn’t the most gifted footballer and has had some underwhelming spells in which he missed a lot of good chances. However, during his entire career, he has scored 218 goals and was involved in another 84 goals with an assist in 600 competitive matches. This means that he’s basically been involved in a goal every other match. 

Besides being criticised for his inconsistency in front of goal, Morata perhaps has also been a victim of higher expectations and his own price tag, which is another common occurrence in modern-day football. He became a joke and meme to many people in the public. Ultimately, the constant criticism he received during his career got the better of him and reached an ultimate high three months before the Euros of 2024 as he became ‘’embarrassed’’ to be seen in the street with his children. 

‘An easy joke’

“Every time I went out with my children there was some episode with people, sometimes without malice. It reached a point that people said so many things to me that it made me ashamed to be with them. I was an easy joke to make people laugh. Often I have crossed the line. [People] have insulted me and I have tried to shame those people who were trying to make me feel bad. The Euros changed my life because they respect me more. That photo as a champion will always be there,” Morata told the Spanish radio station Cope. 

At the same time, Morata also experienced depression and panic attacks. ‘’When you have really tough times, depression, panic attacks, it doesn’t matter what job you do, it doesn’t matter what situation you have in life, you have another person inside that you have to fight against every day, every night.’’

‘’I had a really bad time, I exploded and there came a time when I couldn’t lace up my boots. When I laced up my boots I would run home because my throat would close up, I started to see blurry and it’s difficult.’’ 

‘’I was thinking whether I would be able to play in a match again. I don’t know what was happening to me, but it’s very complicated, very delicate and at that moment when you realise that what you like most in the world is what you hate most, at that moment it’s complicated.’’

Morata took medication to help with his anxiety. ‘’I have had to take all sorts of things. People need to see: I had everything and I ended up like that. It doesn’t depend on what your life is like.’’ 

Normalizing mental struggles

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Morata also spoke about his reluctance to get help earlier and told people to seek help as soon as possible. ‘’I spent a lot of time fighting against my mind and, in the end when I couldn’t take it any more, I asked for help. You don’t have to reach the limit to ask for help and treat this problem.’’ 

Unfortunately, after opening up about his struggles, Morata, again, was receiving criticism from some news outlets. After hinting at a potential retirement from the Spanish national team, El Confidencial called Morata a ‘crybaby’ and stated that he displays ‘immature and reprehensible behaviour’. However, in a press conference, Morata said that he aimed to normalize an important issue. ‘’My aim is not to cry or seek pity or complain as many say. I accept criticism regarding my work; I don’t want to be diverted.’’ 

 

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Morata also told The Athletic that more should be done to sensitise the public to mental health and revealed that he recently read a study that showed an alarmingly high number of panic attacks in young people. As a father, he’s very concerned.

 ‘’I don’t understand why in schools they put so much emphasis on teaching kids the names of all the rivers in Spain and Italy and not on mental health. They have to be ready for it and know there are specialists out there. It’s not an argument that only needs raising in sport. More emphasis needs placing on it in all aspects of life. Everyone needs to unload stuff when things aren’t going well. There are professionals who can help and change your life.’’

Documentary 

In a press conference, Morata stated that he has also been making a documentary about panic attacks and mental health and that he hopes to leave this topic behind as he’s fully recovered. ‘’I would like to leave this topic behind. I made a documentary that will be shown soon, and eight out of ten young people face this problem. Many people share this experience and find themselves identified, and I want to shed a light on the issue. I am recovered, full of strength and eager to be a part of the national team.’’