Former Brazilian national team defender Cicinho has opened up about his struggle with alcohol, confessing that he attended Real Madrid’s training session while intoxicated. The right-back arrived at Los Blancos in the summer of 2005 and stayed in the Spanish capital for two seasons, during which he made 32 appearances.
He moved to Roma in Italy in 2007 and spent five years with the Giallorossi, including brief spells at Sao Paulo and Villarreal. In 2012, Cisignho revealed that while he was excluded from the Roma squad, he “smoked and got drunk” and that he “didn’t do drugs because of doping tests”. He then confessed to consuming two packs of cigarettes every day and claimed that his difficulties began after moving to Madrid.
Cisignho arrived at the Spanish club as one of South America’s hottest talents after helping São Paulo win the Copa Libertadores, win the Brazilian Championship and win the Club World Cup. Nevertheless, despite making more than 250 top-flight appearances, including 15 caps for Brazil, the defender failed to live up to his initial promise.
The right-back spoke about his off-field troubles on the program “Recirca” broadcast on Brazilian television station EPTV. He revealed that becoming an alcoholic turned out to be very straightforward, detailing how he hid his drinking habits from his teammates.
When asked if he ever got drunk to train with Real Madrid, Cisignho confessed: “I did. I drank coffee to get rid of the smell of my breath, and I covered myself in perfume. In my profession as a professional footballer, it was easy. I didn’t need money to buy drinks. People were happy to give me drinks in restaurants.”
The former right-back revealed that his drinking problem started as a teenager, saying: “I tried alcohol for the first time when I was 13 and I never stopped. I lived in the countryside and at weekends I would meet up with friends and go to clubs and discos.”
The former player, now 41 and in rehab, warned of the effects of alcohol, saying: “Alcohol attracts people around you who like that lifestyle and leaves behind the people who really love you.
“I have a 15-year-old son and I always apologize to him. He was 2 at the time and didn’t really understand, but it stuck with me.”
