“I live in a golden prison” – Atletico Madrid star on life as a footballer | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid midifelder Rodrigo de Paul has never been afraid of speaking his mind, and once again, he has expressed views that many will struggle to agree with. The 30-year-old has explained that he feels caged in by his profession.

Many envy the privilege and celebrity that footballers enjoy, but the public persona and the dedication to the profession are not for everyone. De Paul has revealed that for him, his job is a barrier to enjoying many other aspects of his life on an Argentine radio station.

“The footballer lives in a golden prison, because you have a lot of things, but you are always deprived of enjoying them. Because your life doesn’t let you be in the places you want to be.”

“In the end, the most valuable thing in life is time. It’s been 10 years since I celebrated my birthday with my mother, my brothers, my friends. When you’re in your twenties, and everyone is enjoying themselves, I never had that, I missed out on a whole stage of life. Today I come and enjoy them, but they have their families, their children… If today a family member has a problem, I cannot come to help them, that’s the thing. Yes, I have free time, but I can’t leave Madrid,” he explained to Luzu TV, as quoted by TopMercato.

It is hard to argue with the points that de Paul makes, and he is certainly not the first to point out that going out in public, or enjoying time with their family without being disturbed is far from easy. That said, it’s a trade off that many would be willing to make, and one that so far, has seemed worth it for de Paul.