Expert says Sudakov's heart isn't in Benfica | OneFootball

Georgiy Sudakov has experienced a tragedy in recent days. The home of the midfielder for Benfica in Kiev was bombed and destroyed. Filipa Jardim, a clinical psychologist, assures that personal life events cannot be dissociated from professional ones and that the player could be greatly affected.

"The brain in a state of alert is not the same brain that needs to be focused, creative, and regulated on the field. Performance depends as much on the physical as on the mind, and that's why the psychological impact of war or violence events cannot be ignored", said the CEO and director of the Transform Academy clinic, to the Record newspaper.

As a specialist in the field, Filipa Jardim tried to explain the situation: "What happened to Sudakov and his family is a raw example of how, in real life, there is no separation between personal and professional life. Even high-performance athletes, who we often idealize as invincible, are deeply exposed to the emotional impact of traumatic events".

"From a psychological point of view, what this family has experienced is a potentially traumatic event. We know today, from research in neuroscience and trauma psychology, that situations of extreme threat activate the nervous system intensely, leaving marks that can manifest in anxiety, hypervigilance, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems and even physical symptoms - such as pain, fatigue or muscle tension", she added.

"A player may have his boots in Lisbon, but his heart in Kiev. And without taking care of the heart, no body performs on the field", admitted Filipa Jardim, explaining that Benfica and the Ukrainian team will have an "absolutely central" role in helping the player: "The coach, teammates, technical team, and management can be a protective factor: creating space for Sudakov to feel supported and not just pressured to perform".

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