Atalanta ace Josep Ilicic is reportedly considering quitting the sport after discovering that his wife was cheating on him. The Slovenian has had a stellar season so far but will not be a part of Atalanta’s final lap of their historic campaign.
The forward was in the best form of his life prior to the lockdown but feared death once the pandemic struck. The anxiety and panic took a toll on his body as he returned back to training having lost weight and was overall in a poor mental state.
His state eventually spoke for itself in the pitch as he was unable to register a single goal or assist post the lockdown. Moreover, Ilicic was unable to complete 90 minutes in any of the matches he was part of.
Ilicic’s state of mind reached a new low as he found his wife Tina Polovina, with another man while returning back to Slovenia as part of a surprise visit. The 32-year-old is reportedly depressed and asked Atalanta to exempt him from their training camp and the upcoming Champions League campaign, which begins with a quarter-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
While it was previously reported that the player wishes to have a short break, it is now being speculated that Ilicic is seriously considering retirement after being unable to cope up with his recent hardships.
Ilicic’s season comes to an abrupt end
Atalanta manager Gasperini stated that it would be difficult for the club to get hold of Ilicic with each passing day. He said:
“We’re getting closer to the day [of the PSG game]. With each passing day, it is more difficult for us to have Ilicic back. It would be very difficult for him to be with us in Lisbon.”
Ilicic met his wife in 2009 and the couple have daughters named Sofia and Victoria. It has even been claimed that the ‘heart’ celebration is dedicated to his wife.
The 32-year-old was in prime form this season after finding the net 15 goals and 9 assists this season. His contributions helped Atalanta reach third in the recently concluded Serie A campaign.
The Serie A side scored 98 goals over the course of the season and have emerged as one of the most attacking sides in Europe. Atalanta will face Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals. The Ligue 1 outfit will be without Kylian Mbappe for fixture who suffered an injury in the Coupe de France final.
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