This archive report was first published on 20 April 2020.
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, professional footballers are facing a new challenge: mental health. According to a report released by Fifpro on April 20, 2020, increasing numbers of footballers are struggling with anxiety and depression due to the suspension of the sport.
The report, which surveyed 1,602 players across 16 countries, including England, Scotland, France, Australia, and the United States, found that 13% of male players and 22% of female players reported symptoms of depression. Close to one in five of both male and female players reported symptoms of anxiety.
"In football, suddenly young men and women athletes are having to cope with social isolation, a suspension of their working lives and doubts about their future," said Vincent Gouttebarge, Fifpro's chief medical officer.
Many professional footballers live in foreign countries without family, and in many cases, suffer added anxiety due to being on short-term contracts. The Fifpro survey follows an identical study undertaken in December and January, which found lower percentages of players reporting symptoms of depression.
"In us performing the study and publishing these results we are very conscious that what we are communicating here is a reflection of a problem in broader society that affects many more people than our members," said Fifpro's General Secretary, Jonas Baer-Hoffmann.
Discussions are ongoing among federations and governing bodies about how and when the season can resume, with Europe's biggest leagues hopeful of starting again soon with matches behind closed doors.
