Ex-Vasco's Guarín on beating alcoholism: “I miss the club”

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Papo na Colina

·23 April 2026

Ex-Vasco's Guarín on beating alcoholism: “I miss the club”

Former Colombian player Fredy Guarín — who had a brief spell at Vasco — opened his heart to talk about his delicate process of personal recovery away from the pitch. The former midfielder publicly revealed that he overcame a long and difficult battle against alcohol addiction, which harmed the final stretch of his sporting career.

Now retired and living a very peaceful phase alongside his family, the athlete decided to turn the scars of his difficult past into a strong support network to help other people facing the same serious health problem in their daily lives. In a candid interview, he admitted his initial mistake:

Video OneFootball

“I was a social alcoholic for several years. The truth is that I lost my way. My decision was to abuse alcohol. I made many mistakes, rushed decisions, and hurt many people.”

The fight against depression and addiction required a strict stay at a rehabilitation clinic in the city of Envigado, located in Colombia, where the former athlete cared for horses as part of his intensive medical treatment. He detailed how he feels about his new life and the creation of a charitable institution:

“Today I’m enjoying a quiet, peaceful life, enjoying my family, the things I like, giving great importance to life, and helping people who had the same problems I had. I have a foundation that welcomed me on the day I arrived with my problem. Together with this foundation, we built a very good relationship, and now we have opened a new foundation where we are helping people with addiction problems.”

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Deep affection for Vasco and contact with staff

Despite what was considered a short spell in Brazilian football, the defensive midfielder formed unbreakable emotional ties with the Rio club. His time at Vasco between 2019 and 2020 produced twelve matches under coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo and three goals scored in the league. The former number 13 highlighted the huge affection he still carries for the São Januário club:

“My love for the club is very great. Even though I was there for a short time, my connection with São Januário, with its people, with their fighting spirit, was very strong. I always remember them a lot, and I miss them very much.”

The foreign player tattooed the famous Maltese cross on his left arm during the strict isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic and remains in frequent contact with former behind-the-scenes co-workers. The athlete explained his daily bond of friendship:

“I’m in touch with them. I have some friends in the department, the massage therapists, the people who work for the team… I always get news from them, they send me updates, and sometimes I talk to them by video call. I have a great relationship with Vasco, and my connection with the fans is strong.”

Fredy Guarín was present at the Legends Cup in Curaçao — Photo: Larissa Ramos

Legends tournament

Recently, the former footballer actively took part in the festive Legends Cup tournament, held on the paradisiacal island of Curaçao. The midfielder represented the Colombian national team alongside world football legends such as goalkeeper Higuita and playmaker Valderrama, finishing the friendly competition in fourth place overall. The athlete celebrated the fact that he was once again able to be in contact with the ball and put on his boots after a long period completely away from the sport:

“It means a lot, because after I ended my career, I disconnected from football, from everything… So now, after my new life, I’m trying to return to what I always loved as a child.”

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