“There is a lot of silent suffering in German football cabins”
Stand: 31.05.2023
Timo Baumgartl fell ill with a testicular tumor. The Union Berlin professional complains that mental illnesses are still a taboo subject in football. He talks about pressure and fear in the Bundesliga. And his psychotherapy.
Oalthough the topic of mental illnesses is moving more into focus in professional sport, Timo Baumgartl sees a culture of concealment and suppression in football.
“There is a lot of silent suffering in German football cabins,” said the 27-year-old central defender, who will leave the Bundesliga club 1. FC Union Berlin after the season, the “Stern”. Union reached the Champions League last season. Baumgartl’s contract with the Berliners ends on June 30, he was on loan from PSV Eindhoven.
“In the end, professional footballers are just me-AGs, even in a functioning team. Most teammates only care about your problems as long as they play well themselves. If things get worse for them, they often don’t have a head for your worries anymore.”
“Why do you only look at the body?”
Getting professional help for mental stress is still a taboo subject. “That’s absurd, because in football they try to get every percentage point out of an athlete. Why do you only look at the body and not at the soul?” said Baumgartl.
If a ligament is torn, it is clear that a doctor must help. “Why doesn’t that also apply to mental problems as a matter of course? For me, going to therapy is a sign of strength,” he said. He knows players who “have diarrhea before every game. These are not isolated cases.”
Timo Baumgartl was loaned out by PSV Eindhoven to Union Berlin for two seasons
Source: dpa/Daniel Karmann
He himself developed a tick and needed half an hour to put on his football boots. It was only through therapy that he was able to stop this tic.
As a player, you quickly learn that “in this industry, it’s all about functioning on the pitch. So you hold back,” said Baumgartl, who still goes to psychotherapy regularly after surviving testicular cancer. “A lot of players would like to talk about their fears if they could. I’m sure.”
Testicular tumor was removed
The therapy played a large part in his rapid return to competitive sports. In the spring of 2022, Baumgartl had a testicular tumor removed. On September 18, 2022, after surviving surgery and chemotherapy, he returned to the starting XI.
