Diarra: "My team-mates helped me a lot during those difficult months"
Carlos Cristobal / translation by Manuel Arcedillo
Diarra has recovered from an injury which has kept him off the pitch during eight months. In an interview to Realmadrid.com, the midfielder talks about his recovery process and how happy he is to be able to help the team once more.
Are you happy now you’ve left behind such hard times?
I’m very happy right now. I work with the team and I can touch the ball normally.
How did you feel when the doctors told you the seriousness of your injury?
In fact, I knew there was something wrong with my knee before they told me. I tried to hold on a bit longer so I could help the team but my knee finally gave up and I had to undergo surgery. The knee was 80% broken. Both cartilages and the outer meniscus were broken. It was an extremely serious injury.
It’s the worst injury for a footballer.
Yes, it’s one of the worst things that can happen not only to footballers, but to anyone. We all depend on our knees because they’re one of the parts which bear the weight of the whole body. If they don’t work properly, even walking becomes difficult. Not to mention running.
Tell us about your recovery process.
It has been my worst time as a professional. They were very, very difficult moments. I was on crutches for the first two months, which was hard. Then I spent five or six months working on my own in the gym. Everything has been difficult. I hope to never go through these eight months again in my life. I don’t wish it to happen to any other footballer either.
What was worse, the physical workouts or the thoughts that ran through your mind?
El trabajo físico fue duro, pero lo peor está fuera del equipo. Estás fuera del grupo, siempre en el gimnasio, únicamente *** Ruud y el preparador, Chamo. Y mientras ves a tus compañeros entrenar. Eso es lo peor, el querer ayudar al grupo y no poder hacerlo.
During your recovery period, each small step forward must have been a happy moment...
Yes, it was. But it’s finally over and I’m happy. I work to gradually recover my strength. I’m happy that my knee is not giving me any problems and now I’m ready to help the team, which is what I want most.
What role have your team-mates played in your recovery?
They have helped me a lot. They were always cheering me up and telling me to keep working. They were by my side during the difficult moments congratulating me for the effort I was making. And the medical staff did the same, of course. We talked about players who went through similar injuries and about how they eventually returned to the pitch.
¿Who helped you most?
Many people helped me. My family, to begin with. My friends and some team-mates visited me after surgery. They proved to me that they were worried. I had never had an injury which kept off the pitch for more than a month. Even Schuster, who had just left the Club, came to see me. I’m grateful to them all.
You shared this difficult period with Van Nistelrooy, who had a similar injury. You must have cheered each other up regularly.
Yes, we had a great time together many days. Although other days we just didn’t want to talk to anybody. We were going through the same process and he helped me a lot. Unlike me, he had already recovered from a serious injury. Some days were awful; I didn’t feel like doing anything. I just wanted to come, say hello, and go back home. But it was worst at home, because I was alone and couldn’t stop thinking about the injury. I’d rather stayed in the training grounds joking with him and the rest of the team.
Did it ever cross your mind to give up?
Yes, sometimes, especially during my fifth or sixth month of injury, when the team was going through bad times and I couldn’t do anything. At that moment I thought that everything was over for me. I couldn’t run, I was in the gym day after day always thinking about when I could return to the pitch. But I was patient and after seven months I saw the hard work was paying off and I could run and touch the ball more intensely. Then I realised I had to hold on. I worked even harder so I could play as soon as possible.
The fans gave you and Van Nistelrooy a warm welcome when you both came into the pitch against Rosenborg. Would you like to pay them back?
Yes, the fans gave us a one-minute ovation and it was incredible. Those things touch me deeply. They have earned my respect. The Club has always cared for us and everyone was aware of our situation. That gave us even more strength.
Do you want to say anything to those people?
I want to thank them all for being by our side during those difficult months. We’re almost fit to play and we’ll work to satisfy the fans.
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