Argentina legend Gabriel Batistuta begged a doctor to amputate his legs due to the excruciating pain he felt after retiring in 2005.
The former striker, who netted 56 times in 78 international caps and terrorised defences in Serie A for years, suffered terribly from the stress he had put on his body during a 17-year career.
And the former Fiorentina and Roma striker felt in so much pain at the age of 36 that he longed to have his legs removed, just like South African athlete Oscar Pistorius.
The now 45-year-old told TyC Sports: ‘I left football and overnight I couldn’t walk.
‘I wet the bed even though the bathroom was only three metres away. It was 4am and I knew if I stood my ankle would kill me.
‘I went to see Doctor Avanzi (an Orthopaedics specialist) and told him to cut off my legs. He looked at me and told me I was crazy.
‘I couldn’t bear it any longer. I can’t put in to words just how bad the pain was. I looked at Oscar Pistorius and said, “That’s my solution”.
