Athletes face mental health struggles and physical injuries

Professional athletes continue to face significant psychological and physical challenges. Slovenian footballer Josip Iličić has dealt with profound personal and professional trauma, including the loss of his father in childhood and the sudden death of friend and colleague Davide Astori in 2017. These events contributed to struggles with depression and mental health during his career in Italy with clubs such as Fiorentina and Atalanta.

In combat sports, Uroš Medić recently navigated a high-pressure return to his home crowd while managing a meniscus injury sustained just days before a fight. Medić revealed that he underwent the match without knowing the full extent of the damage, which will likely require surgery and a recovery period of one to one and a half months. He described the experience as the most emotional moment of his career.