09.02.2026 18:30
Gregory Van der Wiel, who also wore the Fenerbahçe jersey in previous years, made a striking post on his social media account. The former Dutch player, reflecting on his football career, stated, "Football is a prison, I didn't enjoy a single moment of my career. I won 16 trophies, but I felt completely alone."
In the 2016-2017 season, former Dutch footballer Gregory Van der Wiel, who wore the Fenerbahçe jersey in our country and ended his football career in 2019, made a post on his social media account discussing his professional football life.
''FOOTBALL IS A PRISON''
Van der Wiel, who stated that he was never happy throughout his career, said, ''Football is a prison, I didn't enjoy a single moment of my career. I won 16 trophies, but I felt completely alone. I felt like a spectator, as if I wasn't part of the game. I was wearing a mask, I couldn't be myself. I felt nothing in all the things I won; no joy, no pride, nothing at all.''
''I WAS NOT FREE''
The former right-back, who said, ''I played stiffly when I should have played freely, I held myself back when I should have exploded, I was not free,'' added, ''If you feel the same way in the locker room, you are not weak, you are soulless.''
CAREER STATISTICS
After retiring from football, Van der Wiel, who produces content on social media in addition to mental and performance coaching, played in 380 official matches during his football career. In these matches, Wiel scored 17 goals and provided 45 assists.