‘Footballers are not superheroes’: we must tackle the mental and physical pressures of elite sport

Vincent Gouttebarge raises awareness about mental health in professional football. Credit: Gouttebarge Vincent Gouttebarge played professional football in France and the Netherlands for more than a decade before retiring in 2007 and concentrating on a medical-research career. Familiar with injury during his sporting days, he now works as medical director at the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO), which is a players’ union, and as chair of the International Olympic …