“I have taken life back into my own hands”
|Luigi Pietrzyk (Left) and Andrea Vecchio (Right) at the tournament in Fuenlabrada Image: Rebecca Corbett
Doctor Giorgio Cerizza, Team Italy’s psychologist, and players Andrea Vecchio and Luigi Pietrzyk spoke to Filippo Testa, the volunteer who was looking after the team at the Homeless World Cup tournament in Fuenlabrada. Filippo, Doctor Cerizza, Andrea and Luigi spoke about football, how it can help recovery and how ultimately the most important thing in life is to care about one another.
“If we imagine we conduct our lives like a football match, our opponents give value to the game. Our teammates on the other hand are the fundamental resource for achieving it.
Hard work and patience, if accompanied by trust in ourselves and others, will always lead us to achieve our goals.”
|Doctor Giorgio Cerizza - one of the men behind the success of the Italian team. Image: HWC/Rebecca Corbett
These are the words of Doctor Giorgio Cerizza, a psychiatrist who for more than 30 years has been helping people to recover from addiction. A lot of that work has been in collaboration with Nazionale Solidale, our partner in Italy.
Sport is at the centre of his formula. Through sport, he believes people can build confidence and identify their own strengths. Using football as a metaphor for life, he teaches values which help guide people who have lost their way in everyday life.
One of the key messages, is to: “not run away from our opponents; our daily struggles”. He says that instead of using substances and addiction to hide, we need to be with our teammates - only then, can we find an answer, and ultimately a solution.
Addiction can lead to isolation, and sometimes people think that removing themselves from society can help, but Doctor Cerizza doesn’t agree with this. He thinks that you need to understand other’s needs first. Then, through the relationships you build, you can gain self-confidence.
“Sport took a fundamental role”
|When Andrea Vecchio joined the Italian team, he stopped running from his problems. Image: HWC/Rebecca Corbett
For players Andrea and Luigi, Doctor Cerizza’s help has offered a remedy after years of challenges. 38-year-old Andrea, who represented Italy at the tournament in Fuenlabrada used the methods to help him to recover after years of cocaine addiction.
“To hide my weaknesses, I was running away from myself and from others. I was living my life trying to repress my emotions. In 2020 I realised I needed help so I contacted Doctor Cerizza and started my path with this amazing group that I’m still part of.
“In this process sport took a fundamental role, through sport I learned a lot about myself and how to relate to others. Now I feel good and look forward to life and my future.
“Problems on the pitch reflect some of my problems in life – I have moments where I give great performances and others where I can’t handle the situation and struggle to get the same result. Events like this are amazing experiences and help me to grow further.”
Andrea’s teammate, 32-year-old Luigi Pietrzyk, has also seen the benefits of Doctor Cerizza’s methods. He’s come a long way since they first met in 2018.
“I turned to Doctor Certizza and from that moment everything changed”
|“I turned to Doctor Certizza and from that moment everything changed” - Luigi Pietrzyk Image: HWC/Rebecca Corbett
“Four years ago, I turned to Doctor Certizza and from that moment everything changed thanks to his dedication and the amazing group I have shared this journey with.”
Luigi’s battle with addiction started as a teenager; “Since the age of 15 I have always lived in difficult situations and been addicted to cocaine and alcohol. Until I was 22, I was playing football and that helped me to manage my addictions. But when I had to give up sports and devote my time to work, I started to lose control.
“After several years, and the birth of my son, together with the encouragement from my mother and my ex-partner I decided to start a rehabilitation programme.”
Luigi explains that while the rehabilitation didn’t lead him to change his life at this point, he took away good memories and key lessons.
However, shortly after completing the programme, it all went wrong: “I had a relapse that took me back to the abyss. I realised that I needed help and that only by doing it yourself and getting to know yourself you can come out of it and get on with others.”
It was at this point that he turned to Doctor Certizza. Since then, everything has changed: “I have found the beauty of life and emotions from the people I have met. This has given me the strength to look forward. Sport has helped me in this aspect, I can share unique moments with special people.
“By playing football regularly, being part of an 11-a-side team, I have taken life back into my own hands. I have removed by addictions and in their place, I have filled my heart with the love that I have received from my son and my new extended family from the programme. I am proud to be part of it.”
Find out more about Doctor Giorgio Cerizza and how the team at Nazionale Solidale are supporting people to overcome addiction through football.
Words: Filippo Testa
Images: Rebecca Corbett