Mario Gila opened up about the difficulties he faced during his debut season with Lazio, admitting to seeking out help.
The 22-year-old Spanish defender joined the Biancocelesti last summer from Real Madrid Castilla in a deal worth around €6 million, adding a talented but untested centre back to Maurizio Sarri’s squad.
Mario Gila struggled to break into the Lazio set up during his first 12 months at the club, only seeing 764 minutes of action across 12 matches. His last Serie A appearance came in the 3-0 loss to Juventus back in November.
Speaking to Relevo (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Gila was honest when discussing the trials and tribulations of his first year with Lazio.
I knew it would be difficult, this was one of the reasons why I went to Lazio. Going to another country, where defensively it’s very different from Spain, where I would have grown a lot…
I was expecting a difficult season, but one in which I thought I would play a bit more. That’s how the situation was and with outside help I coped well anyway. But it’s my first year and I have another season ahead of me.
I don’t have to think about the previous season, because I learnt a lot and personally, I’m super happy with how I have grown. I don’t have to regret not playing, these things happen, and the important thing is to deal with them well.
I had a very bad time at the beginning of the year because I came from playing all the time and everything was going right. To arrive there, in another country… It was difficult not getting the minutes or the position in the team that I expected.
I decided to seek psychological help, I contacted a guy through an acquaintance. For athletes, whether good or bad, it is important to have someone to help you. It makes you have your feet on the ground and handle situations from another point of view.
These are very difficult situations, we are 21 or 22 year old guys whose minds are not as mature as they should be for the situations we are going through and to ask for psychological help and to have it I think is very necessary.
The 22-year-old Gila will be hoping for more regular playing time in the upcoming season, although he’ll likely still be a backup to starting duo Alessio Romagnoli and Nicolo Casale. The Spaniard is contracted to Lazio until June 2027.
