Former Italian defender Andrea Ranocchia gave an exclusive interview to Flashscore about psychological support in football and Athletics Mind, a platform he founded to provide psychological and nutritional support to athletes.
The idea behind Athletics Mind
Ranocchia said: "Athletics Mind was born from an idea based on my direct experience on the pitch. From the time I was a child until I became a professional footballer, I went through many different phases. Unfortunately, I discovered the psychological support sector in sports too late, around the age of 29-30. If I had been aware of it earlier, I probably would have faced many situations differently."
What the platform offers
Ranocchia said: "We have specialists available in both the nutritional and psychological fields. Based on specific needs, the sport played, and age, a predefined nutritional program is created. Eating correctly according to your sport is fundamental and must go hand in hand with the psychological aspect and practice on the pitch."
His experience at Inter
Ranocchia said: "I had my real stroke of luck at Inter , when the club provided us with a psychologist. I decided to try and immediately felt very comfortable. The advice I always give to athletes is to try: in the worst-case scenario, nothing happens, but in the best-case scenario, it helps you enormously, improving your quality of life and, consequently, your sporting performances."
Opening up and retirement
Ranocchia said: "Fortunately, in recent years, many top-level athletes are starting to open up and ask for help. More than just mental health, it is essential to understand that, just as you rely on coaches for the technical, tactical, and athletic aspects, you also need to call a psychologist to take care of the mental part."
The interviewer noted that Ranocchia had previously described his experience at Hull City in England as a moment of "detoxification", and that he had decided to quit relatively young, saying he no longer had the motivation.