Cicinho, the former Real Madrid and Roma defender who earned 15 caps for Brazil, has revealed the extent of his struggle with alcohol addiction in a candid interview with Italian media. The 45-year-old right-back, who enjoyed a decorated career across Europe's top leagues, disclosed that he consumed up to 70 beers and 15 caipirinhas in a single day during his time in Italy—a personal record he now reflects on with deep regret.
The addiction began at age 13 when Cicinho first tried beer at a party. What started as curiosity spiralled into a compulsion that would dominate his life for decades. "I destroyed myself with alcohol," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I tried beer and fell in love with it like it was a woman. The older I got, the more I drank." His habit intensified after signing for Botafogo, marking the beginning of a reckless lifestyle fuelled by parties, cigarettes, and constant drinking.
Managing Addiction While Playing at the Highest Level
What makes Cicinho's story remarkable—and troubling—is that he maintained a professional football career despite severe substance abuse. During his spells at Roma and Real Madrid, the full-back somehow compartmentalised his personal chaos from his on-pitch performance. He would arrive for training at 8 a.m. after going to bed at 4 a.m., still intoxicated, only to mask the smell with multiple cups of coffee and an entire packet of cigarettes. "And on the pitch, I actually played well," he recalled, a testament to both his natural ability and the dangerous delusion that addiction had created.
Cicinho's physical decline eventually forced a reckoning. Chronic knee problems combined with the accumulated toxins in his body triggered severe depression, which deepened his downward spiral. The turning point came in 2012 when he returned to Brazil, where family support and professional therapy finally gave him the tools to confront his demons.
A New Chapter: Sobriety and Redemption
Today, Cicinho has been sober for 14 years. He relocated to São Paulo, where he built a stable family life with his wife and five-year-old son. Beyond family, he channelled his experience into two meaningful pursuits: working as a television pundit analysing football, and serving as an evangelical pastor for the past decade. His journey from self-destruction to redemption offers a powerful testament to the possibility of recovery, even after years of denial and excess.
Cicinho's story serves as a cautionary tale for young footballers navigating the pressures and temptations of professional sport, while simultaneously demonstrating that addiction does not define a person's ultimate destiny.
