Players at increased risk of mental health problems says FIFPRO

FILE PHOTO: Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o (L) challenges Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand for the ball during their Champions League semi-final first leg soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, April 23, 2008. REUTERS/Albert Gea

BERN (Reuters) - Professional footballers often live alone in a strange country, far from their families and work in a high-adrenaline profession where they can be heroes one day and forgotten the next.

Not surprisingly, they are prone to mental health problems and the global players' union FIFPRO says the uncertainty caused by the novel coronavirus crisis will make that worse, with women especially vulnerable.