Mathias Lessort speaks in a 20-minute confession for Panathinaikos' page about his injury, extension with PAO and recovery.
Mathias Lessort was on pace for another elite season before suffering a fatal injury to his ankle.
For the first time since it occurred, Lessort spoke publicly about the injury in a 20-minute confession for Panathinaikos' website:
"When I was on the ground, I understood very quickly what had happened. I looked at my leg and saw that it was hanging down and I couldn't move it anymore. It was twisted. I knew there was nothing the doctor could do."
"The game was over for me and I would be out for a long time. It was shocking at first. Then I understood what was happening."
"And I heard them shouting for the stretcher to be brought to me. And I said 'no, I can't leave like this'. I don't want to leave on a stretcher. I came to the field alone, walking. I will also leave alone."
Lessort revealed how tough was the first week after getting injured:
"This is my first serious injury. I have never been injured in my career for more than 3-4 weeks. This was the worst injury I have ever had."
"For me, accepting that I would be away from the field for so long, not being able to walk, being on crutches, was very difficult. But it made me stronger. I am a different person now."
"I learned to listen to my body, I am learning to walk again properly, I am learning a lot of things that I didn’t know I needed to learn again in my life."
Lessort also talked about Dimitris Giannakopoulos offering an extension regardless of him getting injured:
"You know, for him to come to my house and try to close the deal as soon as possible, to make me feel safe and help me move forward, without thinking that 'my contract is ending, how am I going to manage it because I'm injured'... "
"I was playing well, we were getting along well. I was going to sign a good contract and then this injury happened for the first time in my career. "
"It was something that was bothering me and I was having a hard time managing."
"But seeing him come so quickly and tell me 'don't worry, we still want you, we're not going to change our offer, you'll get the contract and the money you're entitled to'."
"It was a great move by him and the entire Panathinaikos organization AKTOR," Lessort concluded.
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