Aihen Muñoz opens up on anxiety, ‘I went to friends’ house to cry’ | OneFootball

"I went to some friends' house to cry, to tell them I did not want to carry on," said Real Sociedad full-back Aihen Muñoz, speaking on the podcast Los Fulanos about the anxiety that pushed him to the brink.

He recalled debuting with 29 at the Santiago Bernabéu in a 0-2 win, playing freely. The next season brought scrutiny and responsibility. "I was no longer that kid who had just come up."

Comparisons with Nacho Monreal increased the strain. A slip at San Mamés against Athletic Club, from a rehearsed throw-in, led to a goal and a dressing-down, triggering a spiral that peaked on the eve of a Copa del Rey tie.

"On a muddy, rain-soaked pitch I felt paralysed by stage fright. I wanted to go unnoticed and choose the safest pass, and sometimes even felt relief when I was not selected."

Guidance from club coach Imanol Ibarrondo helped him reset. He compiled a personal book from letters written in hotels and before matches, and adopted habits like red-light glasses, barefoot walks and a phone without social media to safeguard rest and focus.

The shift crystallised in a Copa del Rey shootout, when he asked to take the fourth kick and walked to the spot "like an emperor". In front of 70,000 he found silence, scored, and added, "Now I am in a good moment and trying to make the most of it."

Source: Diario Vasco

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”