From Real Madrid to rock bottom: Cicinho drank 70 beers a day, prevailed and today is a pastor

For years, Cicinho looked like he had everything - spells with Real Madrid and AS Roma, appearances for Brazil and a career many could only dream of. Behind the scenes, though, the former right-back was fighting a battle that nearly destroyed him.

Now 45, Cicinho has spoken openly about the alcohol addiction that consumed much of his life, admitting football and drinking became the two defining forces of his existence.

"I destroyed myself with alcohol," he told Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport. "I tried beer when I was 13 and fell in love with it like it was a woman. The older I got, the more I drank."

What makes his story even more astonishing is that, while starring for some of Europe's biggest clubs, he says he was secretly living a double life built around alcohol, cigarettes and sleepless nights.

His most shocking confession came from his time in Rome.

"In one day, I drank 70 beers, 15 caipirinhas and smoked two packs of cigarettes," Cicinho revealed.

The addiction had already spiralled long before that. After breaking through at Botafogo, fame and money quickly dragged him into a destructive lifestyle filled with parties and excess.

"I wanted success, money and fun," he admitted. "When I reached Sao Paulo and the national team, I thought I had achieved everything."

Despite the chaos away from football, Cicinho somehow continued to perform on the pitch, even hiding the severity of his addiction from legendary coach Fabio Capello during his spell at Real Madrid.

"I'd go to sleep at four in the morning and arrive at training at eight, still drunk," he said. "Before leaving home, I'd drink coffee and smoke cigarettes to hide the smell. And somehow, I still played well."

But the damage eventually caught up with him. Persistent knee injuries, combined with years of substance abuse, pushed Cicinho into depression and left his career hanging by a thread.

Everything finally changed after his return to Brazil in 2012, where support from family and close friends encouraged him to seek therapy and rebuild his life.

Today, the former defender lives in Sao Paulo with his wife and young son, works as a television pundit and recently became an evangelical pastor. Most importantly, Cicinho says he has now been sober for 14 years, a victory far greater than any trophy he won on the pitch.