Swiss captain and Arsenal midfielder Lia Wälti announces an indefinite break from football due to personal reasons and mental challenges.
Swiss captain and Arsenal midfielder Lia Wälti has revealed she will take an indefinite break from football due to personal reasons.
Mental struggles in recent months
Wälti shared her decision on Instagram, stating that the last few months had been mentally challenging for her.
The 29-year-old expressed her hope to recover and regain her focus on the sport.
Wälti wrote, “For personal reasons, the last weeks and months have been difficult, and mentally and psychologically exhausting.
“It has been a huge challenge to maintain the focus and trying to perform on my “usual level” every day.
“Therefore, I have asked my club and the national team for a short personal break. I left nationalteam today and will take some time off and try to focus on my wellbeing and will, hopefully, come back recovered and with my batteries recharged.
“I wish my team a successful game against Iceland!”
Swiss captain ahead of World Cup
Since 2019, Wälti has been the captain of the Swiss national team.
In just over three months, the team will participate in the football World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Switzerland are in the same group as New Zealand, Norway, and the Philippines.
Next:
Arteta hints that Trossard culd be a starter against Liverpool
It’s another weekend, another time to sit down and watch Arsenal continue to make this their best season under Arteta with their top-notch performances. This weekend, Arsenal takes on Liverpool at Anfield. This is a different challenge; Anfield hasn’t always been kind to Arsenal players.
Leandro Trossard is the one Arsenal player who has had a good time at Anfield; in his last visit there, he scored a hat trick, helping Brighton draw 3-3 with the Reds. Mikel Arteta is hoping the Belgian will lead the rest of the players to their best performance ever at Anfield.
“It is good that we have Trossard, who has had a perfect experience at Anfield.” Mikel Arteta said on Arsenal.com. “He will help us achieve the best in our match on Sunday. He scored a hat trick while with his former club, and he will be motivated to do again.”
Arsenal take on a Liverpool side that has been winless in four games since their 7-goal demlition of Man United, so of course the Gunners should be favourites to win this game on bare form, but there is a doubt. Arsenal has not won at Anfield in at least ten years, as Liverpool has always found a way to frustrate them there.
But this time around, a win there means everything to Arsenal; this Arsenal side is not the Arsenal side of yesteryear, and considering how this season they have defied the odds time after time, I expect them to defy the Anfield factor and leave there with a big fat W.
