Elite football does not always bring happiness to those who play it. Trophies, multimillion-dollar transfers, huge salaries – all this can create a false image of continuous satisfaction and a fairy-tale life. Although all those guys with just one lucrative contract solve almost all 99 per cent of the problems that ordinary people face during their lives, Benjamin Pavard revealed in an interview for L’Equipe that top footballers are far from the indomitable superheroes of today.Benjamin Pavard reveals that he struggled with depression during lockdown: “It was tough. I was alone, in another country. I really wasn’t doing well. In my head, I wasn’t good. At the beginning, you tell yourself it’s nothing, it will pass, but it doesn’t” [@le_Parisien] pic.twitter.com/eHc5NomN60— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) September 25, 2022 Bayern Munich and France defender talked about how hard it was for him to be locked up during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, that is, how he struggled with a severe form of depression…”I came to Bayern and we won everything. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better season. And then Covid came and everything became very difficult for me. First of all, on a personal level. It was not easy to be trapped alone in a foreign country. Away from family, friends… I felt that something was wrong with my life. I had to fight, to grow. I managed to rise from everything in the end. But really, few people know what I went through. Then I realized – the fact that you earn well does not necessarily mean that you are happy,” said Pavard.Pavard’s serious injury completes nightmare pre-season for Bundesliga holdersThe full-back also said he regrets that Robert Lewandowski did not receive at least one Ballon d’Or reward, and he deserved two…”People vote and you have to respect that, but he had to win at least once. He was at the highest level, better than everyone, winning trophies. We were all sad for him.”##NAJAVA_MECA_6667966##Pavard says for himself that he has improved the most mentally in the last year. Hence, he no longer uses criticism, positive or negative, as ‘fuel’.”In order to progress, I listen to close people and coaches, not journalists. I thought a lot about those things. And I’m completely calmed down. Newspapers must exist”.Benjamin Pavard has only played one game in his entire career, v Argentina at WC 2018 where he scored the wonder goal. pic.twitter.com/AOzOx0mIeE— Janty (@CFC_Janty) September 25, 2022 Comparisons with Ashraf Hakimi and Trent Alexander-Arnold don’t really sit well with him, because…”No, no, I’m much more defensive, my tasks are different. You can see that from the statistics. Those two are great, I watch all their games,” concluded Pavard.