More than two years after his terrible horse riding accident which could have cost him his life, Sergio Rico spoke in a poignant interview given to Parisian. The former Sevilla goalkeeper has since made a full recovery, but it took him a while to realize that he had come close to death: “I was in a coma, in a state of total numbness. So I never felt like I was going to die. It was afterwards, seeing the emotion that my accident aroused, that I became aware of the seriousness”he confides.
“I don’t feel any difference from who I was before the accident. I'm in top form. I have regained all my abilities, both in sport and in daily life (…) I just take one tablet of aspirin for children every day, to thin the blood a little. I don't need any special protection.”adds the Spaniard. Today, Rico plays in Al-Gharafa (Qatar), alongside Brahimi and Joselu. He is also not the only ex-Parisian to have made this choice since Julian Draxler, Abdou Diallo, Presnel Kimpembe and Marco Verratti all play there. He would now like to return to Europe, where his last experience at PSG had a profound impact on him.
He has excellent memories of Paris
“It was an incredible experience to be around such great players, who are also very nice people. And of course, there is this Final 8 of the Champions League, in the middle of the Covid period, which will remain a unique moment (he played in the semi-final against Leipzig). We were all together, confined to the hotel. It was really nice, unique, to experience that, I will remember it all my life (…) PSG supporters? I want to say thank you again. Their support and affection during this difficult time helped me a lot. They will always have a special place in my heart. »he explains. He will have played a total of 33 matches under the Parisian colors, and notably won two French championships.
Today, he says he has remained in contact with several former teammates: Marco Verratti, the one who touched him the most, Kylian Mbappé, Achraf Hakimi, Presnel Kimpembe, but also many Argentinians. He also brushed aside all the rumors about Neymar: “He’s a great boy, with a real family spirit. Every time he organized something, it was with the whole family. If you had friends at home, they were welcome too, even if they didn't know him. He made everyone feel at home.” The Brazilian will appreciate it.
