"I Believed I Was the Next Maradona Until 25—Then My Destiny Took an Unexpected Turn, Confesses Former Chelsea Star"

SAUL NIGUEZ was a two-time Europa League winner, a pillar of the Atletico Madrid starting XI and a Spain regular by his mid-twenties.

And he was brimming with confidence, telling ABC : “Until I was 25, I thought I was Maradona.”

Saul Niguez was a key player in a high-flying Atletico Madrid side Credit: – Saul says he was so confident he felt like Diego Maradona (above) Credit: Getty

But from then on he was marginalised by Atleti, fell out of national team contention and began to physically decline.

The all-action utility man Atletico fans once knew gave way to a fading figure who flopped on loan at in 2021-22.

Now struggling to make an impact at Brazilian side Flamengo, Saul is a far cry from the swashbuckling force that stunned with a terrific solo goal in the semi-finals 10 years ago.

He admitted: “I don’t feel anything like that anymore.

“In the end, it was a mental problem. You stop enjoying it and lose that magic touch. You no longer have what sets you apart from the rest – that enthusiasm, that passion.

“I don’t know what happened in my head, but I started having problems, I stopped enjoying it, and my destiny changed.”

Saul is a central midfielder by trade but was increasingly forced to play on the wing or at full-back when his standards slipped.

He added: “I didn’t accept the change in role, I didn’t handle it well because I wasn’t enjoying it.

Saul fell out of favour under Diego Simeone Credit: Getty The Spaniard flopped on loan at Chelsea in 2021-22 Credit: Getty Saul (right) is now team-mates with Lucas Paqueta (left) at Flamengo Credit: Reuters

“Negative self-talk caused my performance to drop significantly. When Cholo [Simeone] told me he wasn’t counting on me [in 2025], I think he was surprised, because instead of blaming him, I just thanked him for the opportunity and his honesty.”

Then-Chelsea boss also used Saul in less favoured positions.

But after a while, the Spaniard fell out of favour completely and finished the campaign with only 10 goalless Premier League appearances to his name.

He later went on loan to before leaving Atletico last year – after well over 400 appearances – and heading to , where he is still grappling with injuries.

Saul explained: “It’s been tough mentally and physically.

“Our pitch is in terrible condition, very hard. It’s awful for my tendon.

“There are days when you can’t train. When I play on a hard pitch, the pain goes up to an eight or nine [out of 10] and it’s killing me.

“I’m struggling with the grass and I don’t feel in optimal condition to contribute to the team. I’m far from an acceptable level for me.”