Former Brazilian footballer Ze Roberto tells the story that led to his failure at Real Madrid. Ze Roberto joined Real Madrid in 1997 at the very beginning of his career, a few months after being promoted to the first team of Brazilian Portuguesa, but the experience did not last long, and he left the following year for Bayern Munich. Ze Roberto, who played until the age of 43, appeared on a Brazilian program to reflect on his long career, and admitted that his addiction to video games played a major role in the decline of his level. In his comments to the Spanish newspaper AS, Ze Roberto pointed out that when he arrived at Real Madrid at the age of 22, he was not mentally or tactically prepared, and was shocked by the team atmosphere and high level of professionalism. The former Brazilian star mentioned that his lack of mastery of Spanish or English made his integration more difficult. Ze Roberto explained that buying a PlayStation console and his addiction to the game 'Crash Bandicoot' made him stay up until dawn, eat poorly, and sleep little, which led to weight gain and a decline in his performance. He added: 'This period was a turning point in my life, as I later decided to get rid of any distractions and focus on fitness, nutrition, and professionalism.' He continued: 'This change helped me return to Brazil in the best shape, and then play for Bayern Munich again until the age of 35, which was the foundation of my entire career.' In conclusion of his statements, Ze Roberto confirmed that he treated his body as a 'machine that requires daily maintenance', which allowed him to continue playing until his retirement from Palmeiras in 2017. It is worth noting that Ze Roberto shares his experience through lectures and dialogues, emphasizing the importance of discipline and concentration for young players in the face of modern distractions such as social media.
