Former Fiorentina midfielder and Italy international Castrovilli ‘thought about quitting football’

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Sam Wilson | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 11:02 AM ET

Bari midfielder Gaetano Castrovilli has opened up about his injury struggles that led him to consider an early retirement.

The former Fiorentina and Lazio player gave the emotional truth to Gianluca Di Marzio, via FiorentiaNews, “I’ve had a lot of injuries. I won’t deny it has been a really tough two and a half years for me.”

He continued, “I’d come back on the pitch and get injured again immediately, my knee would swell up and I’d spend a lot of time wondering why,” before adding “I won’t deny that I was even thinking about quitting football.”

Former Italy international Castrovilli on the psychological aspect of recovery

Castrovilli, who has four caps for the Italian national team, revealed that “I work on my psychological approach every day. I talk about it a lot in the evenings with my wife. The mental aspect can hurt you on the pitch and in your private life, you have to find a balance.”

Castrovilli played just six times for Fiorentina in the 2023-24 season before Lazio signed the midfielder last summer. In the 2024-25 campaign, the Italian made 10 appearances for the Biancocelesti and 12 for Monza after moving on loan in January.

This summer, the 28-year-old joined boyhood club Bari on a free transfer, returning to the side where he started his career before his move to Fiorentina in 2017.

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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