Ivan Klasnic: “No idea how long I’ve got, football uses too many drugs” | OneFootball

A career marked by goals and talent, but above all by a long battle for survival. Ivan Klasnic, former Croatian striker for Werder Bremen and the Croatian national team, has launched a new and harsh accusation against the medical system of professional football, revealing the dramatic effects of improper treatments he received during his career.

Ivan Klasnic denounces: “I don't know how much time I have left to live. Too many drugs in football, I'm alive by a miracle”

“I'm alive by a miracle. I don't know how much time I have left to live,” Klasnic declared in a documentary broadcast in Germany. “There are too many drugs circulating in football. If I had known about my kidney problems, I would never have taken them.”

A story of pain and resilience

Ivan Klasnic's story begins in November 2006, when the footballer was diagnosed with severe kidney failure. A few months later, he underwent a first transplant, which unfortunately failed. A second operation was necessary, made possible thanks to his father's donation.

Against all odds, Klasnic managed to return to the field and participate in Euro 2008, even scoring two goals with Croatia. But his battle didn't stop there: in the meantime, he initiated a legal case against the doctors of Werder Bremen, accusing them of ignoring the clinical signs of the disease for years.

“Already in 2003, the kidney values were altered, but no one intervened. They kept prescribing me drugs without warning me of the risk,” the former striker recounted.

The million-dollar compensation and the price of health

After a long trial, Klasnic received 4.5 million euros in compensation from Werder Bremen. However, as he himself points out, no amount can ever restore his lost health.

“No matter how much money I received, it won't give me back my health. I am grateful to still be alive, but I live every day with the consequences of those medical errors.”

His words cast a heavy shadow on the world of professional football, where the line between pain management and drug abuse seems increasingly thin.

“Too many drugs in football”: Klasnic's denunciation

Klasnic openly denounces a sports culture that, according to him, normalizes the use of painkillers and pharmacological treatments to maintain high performance.

“In football, it's difficult to move forward without painkillers if you want to give your best. In fact, I believe it's almost impossible to play at a high level without using them,” he explained. “But if I had known about my kidney problems, I would never have taken them.”

A battle that becomes a symbol

Today, Klasnic continues his daily struggle against the consequences of those wrong treatments. Despite the transplants and physical difficulties, his testimony represents a powerful voice against medical abuses in professional sports.

His story is not just a warning, but a call for the protection of athletes' health to once again become a priority over any other logic of performance or profit.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.