"I am competitive and I feel bad when we lose. You can see it in me when we've lost. I'm in a bad way. I don't like to talk to anyone"

Competitiveness is presented not as a performative posture but as a defining core of identity. Losing isn’t a mere statistical outcome; it registers as a deeply felt experience that disrupts mood, focus, and social openness. The admission that defeat is visible in demeanor signals authenticity: there is no effort to mask disappointment or craft a media-friendly facade. What you see is a person whose standards are so high that failure unsettles the entire emotional system.

Withdrawal after a loss functions as a boundary, not a flaw. Silence and distance become practical tools for processing, a way to avoid saying something reactive and to metabolize frustration into clarity. That impulse reflects the paradox of elite team sport: everything is shared, yet the responsibility feels intensely personal. The refusal to chat casually after defeat is a testament to how much the result matters.

This mindset also explains consistency at the highest level. Pain from losing is converted into fuel, the discomfort sharpening attention to detail, training habits, and decision-making under pressure. The visible anguish does not undermine leadership; it underlines commitment. Teammates can read the seriousness without a speech. Over time, such standards create a culture where complacency is socially costly.

There’s a humanizing dimension here. The reminder that even a generational talent is emotionally affected by outcomes counters the myth of effortless greatness. Emotional exposure becomes part of the craft: vulnerability acknowledged, not dramatized. It also hints at emotional regulation, the deliberate pause after defeat to regain composure before reengaging with others.

Finally, the tension between public expectation and personal process emerges. Fans and media often demand immediate articulation; the competitor needs space. That gap is where professionalism lives: caring enough to be hurt, disciplined enough to step back, resilient enough to turn private disappointment into public excellence the next time the whistle blows.