Ex-Serie A flop Jardel opens up on drug abuse: ‘I nearly died’

Former Ancona striker Mario Jardel opens up on his alcohol and drug abuse: ‘I nearly died; a friend of mine saved my life.’

The former Brazilian striker played for Ancona in Serie A in the second half of the 2003-04 campaign. He joined the Italian club from Bolton in the January transfer window.

“I only have bad memories. In six months, I didn’t get paid, and I played just three matches,” the ex-striker told La Gazzetta dello Sport about his brief spell in Ancona.

“The squad was packed full of players, poorly run, and went bankrupt at the end of the year. I bonded with Sonetti and Galeone, much less so with the fans.

“I was 31, I was overweight, and someone called me ‘Lardel’. Probably because when they unveiled me against Perugia I saluted the wrong end: we had the same colours. Some fans took offence after that gesture,” the former striker added.

Who did advice him to go to Ancona?

“Jorge Mendes. He wasn’t my agent, but a close friend,” Jardel replied.

“He had contacts in Italy, mentioned my name to some agents and somehow they brought me to Ancona. I was looking for a club where I could play regularly and recover after the nightmare of missing out on the 2002 World Cup, but mentally I never recovered.”

Between 2001 and 2003, Jardel had scored 67 goals in 62 appearances with Sporting CP, still not enough to earn a call-up to the Brazil national team for the 2002 World Cup, which the South Americans won.

“I fell into depression and started drinking excessively,” Jardel admitted.

“Playing in a World Cup was the dream of my life. My first wife left me, and there were issues regarding the custody of our children. I felt that everything was slipping away from me, but the worst was yet to come.”

But the ex-Serie A flop hadn’t yet hit rock bottom.

“In the summer of 2003, I tried cocaine. I was on holiday, and I knew I could take it during that period because there was no doping control,” he said.

“I liked it; it made me feel alive and not depressed. Once, I stayed awake for an entire week. Then I had an overdose; I nearly died, and a friend who was with me saved my life. That was where I hit rock bottom.

“I spent months speaking with psychiatrists,” he continued.

“I came out of it for good when I met my second wife, Sandra: she made me understand the meaning of life, and today I’m happy.”

The former has returned to Brazil and is an investor.

“In Fortaleza, the property market is very popular, and it’s a good way to earn money. In my spare time, I enjoy the sun on the beach, although I miss Italy,” he concluded.