Former Real Madrid defender Cicinho has opened up about his battle with alcoholism during his time at Real Madrid.

Cicinho joined Real Madrid from Brazilian club Sao Paulo in August 2005 leaving two years later for Italian club Roma.

“If you ask me if I’ve ever been to training drunk at Real: yes. And I drank coffee to remove the smell from my breath and bathed in perfume,” Cicinho said on EPTV show Ressaca.

“Speaking of my profession, as a former professional football player, it was easy, I didn’t need money to get [drink]. 

“People were happy to give you everything in restaurants.”

Cicinho’s drinking habit continued during his time at Roma, especially after he was out for an extended period with a ligament injury.

“Started drinking after training. I did the physiotherapy work, came home around 2 p.m., 2.30 p.m. and only stopped drinking at 4 a.m.,” he said. 

“Every time I arrived at Roma drunk, the leaders saw it and that made me fall into disrepute.”

The former Real Madrid right-back revealed he started drinking at the age of 13.

“At 13 years old, when I tasted alcohol for the first time, I never stopped,” he said.

“I lived in the countryside, in Pradopolis, close to Ribeirao Preto, and on weekends we gathered friends and used to go out in the squares, to the clubs.

“There was a bar nearby, because I was a minor, I tried to hide it, I asked whoever was older to buy it and I kept drinking hidden from my parents, the police.”

Cicinho added: “My father and sister took care of my property, and they tried to file a request for intervention of my property. I couldn’t manage what I had.

“Alcohol gets you surrounded by people who like that lifestyle, and people who truly love you are excluded, because when they put you against the wall, saying that your life is not cool, you don’t want to listen.”