Gabriel Batistuta Reveals He Was In So Much Pain After Retiring From Football He Asked Doctors To Amputate His Legs

Chris Wright

30th, August 2014

3 Comments

By Chris Wright

Soccer - UEFA Champions League - Group B - Fiorentina v Arsenal

Former Argentina striker Gabriel Batistuta has revealed that his footballing career left him in so much pain that he seriously asked doctors to amputate both his legs after his retirement in 2005.

Speaking in an interview with TyC Sports, Batistuta admitted that at his lowest ebb he once decided to wet the bed in the middle of the night rather than having to go through the pain of walking across the landing to his bathroom.

In a desperate attempt to rid himself of the agony, Batistuta, now 45,  also admitted that he planned to have his legs removed and replaced with prosthetic blades.

I left football and overnight I couldn’t walk,” Batistuta said.

“I wet the bed even though the bathroom was only three meters away. It was 4am and I knew if I stood my ankle would kill me.

“I went to see Doctor Avanzi (a world-renowned specialist in Orthopaedic trauma) and told him to cut off my legs. He looked at me and told me I was crazy.

“I couldn’t bare it any longer. I can’t put in to words just how bad the pain was.”

Thankfully, Doctor Avanzi managed to talk Batistuta into a less extreme treatment for his ailment – having two screws surgically placed into his ankle to help alleviate the pain and support his movement.

“I chose the right leg (to be operated on) as the doctor couldn’t do both.

“I didn’t care. My problem is that I have no cartilage or tendons. My 86 kilos are supported by bones alone. That’s what generated the pain.

“Since I’ve had the screws put in, I’m much better now than I was three years ago.”

Here’s the interview in full, for those fluent in the Spanish vernacular…

Posted in Injuries, Newsnow, Serie A, Videos

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3 Comments

  1. SG says:

    Still one of the best players I ever saw. Magnificent for Fiorentina in his prime.

  2. Kalich says:

    what a warrior!

  3. Heinrich says:

    Batistuta is a real warrior, he worked always hard to improve on the pitch he give 100% he is a great leader and a great character, we outside can learn from him, never to give up, there will come the time when all your efforts will be rewared, at the peack of his career (1994 – 1999, and his time at AS Rom) Batistuta was the best attacker in Europe and in der World.

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