If he ever steps onto the pitch of a football field again, Sergio Rico will definitely be able to consider himself a miracle.
In an interview with Canal +, broadcast this Sunday on “Canal Football Club”, the man who came close to having to end his career even hopes to be able to make a return to the field... within a month, end of February.
“If all goes well,” he smiled.
The most important thing is to find the competition and my teammates.
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It was the first thing he thought of, he says, when he woke up from his more than three weeks of coma in Spain following a serious horse riding accident: “ I don't remember the first moments well but my wife told me some anecdotes.
I immediately asked the doctor if I could play football again one day.
He was very surprised, but he said yes.
I almost jumped out of my hospital bed!
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🗨️ “If I hadn't been a top athlete, I might have died”
Sergio Rico looks back on his horse riding accident which left him in a coma for 3 weeks 🗣️
A full interview in Canal Football Club , this evening at 7:30 p.m. on CANAL+ 🔜 pic.twitter.com/giX9Kz3w2g
— CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) January 28, 2024
Memories that he recounted in an interview broadcast this Sunday on Canal +.
And in which he confides to what extent, while he speaks freely today about returning to his passion and his profession, he came close to death.
It was precisely this practice of football which, without any possible doubt, saved him.
“The truth is that I owe everything to football.
It's my whole life.
A doctor explained to me that my arteries were a little resistant than those of a normal person, who didn't do as much sport.
If I hadn't been a top athlete, I might have died.
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An extension in Paris?
“I would love to,” he assures.
For him, getting his career back was almost more important than getting back... his life.
“No one wants to die, but if I had to quit football, it wouldn’t have been worth it.
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Having stopped completely since his incident, Rico had lost nearly 20 kilos in hospital and appeared very weakened when he left.
“I have regained all the weight I lost, I have already regained a lot of muscle mass.
I have no after-effects, I have no memory problems.
The doctors spoke of a risk in terms of balance, but it is perfect... it's almost a miracle that I am so well!
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However, he cannot yet return to high-level sport and his teammates.
“I can’t exceed 130 beats per minute,” he says, so “whatever I can do within that limit, I do.”
While his contract ends in June, “it’s up to the club to decide whether they want to extend me or not,” he asks.
“I hope so, I would love to!”
I really like Paris.
I have received a lot of support and I would like to repay it with my work.
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