'I had 14 million dollars and I lost it, but I do not mind being poor'

Uruguay is witness to the passing of one of the bets players in its history, from whom it did not know how to extract true potential and consolidate itself as a global power. Of course, the player in question is Fabian O'Neill, who made his impression on locals and strangers alike with his unparelled talent. 

The 'magician', or so he was called during his time as a sporting icon, was a bemchmark for Nacional de Montevideo, and shortly after debuting in his native country, he would make the move to European football. In Cagliari, he enjoyed his best moments, reaching 160 appearances and scoring 15 goals. 

Then in 2000, he made an even bigger jump, by signing for Juventus, a club that relied on the technical talents of a midfielder with an air of invincibility. There, he would share a dressing room with Zinedine Zidane, who later named the 'Wizard' as the best player he'd ever played alongside.

His great performances on the field elevated him to 'super star' status, which was against his true nature. Innate talent was not paired with good behaviour and hard work, but was in fact cancelled out by delinquent behaviour outside the game. 

As fast was his ascent came his downfall; fame only lasted a few years. At the age of 30, the player chose to hang up his boots and return to his homeland.

Currently he lives within his means, and has lost all the millions of euros that he earned in his professional career.

The 'Magician' spoke of his follies in an interview with 'El Pais': "I had 14 million dollars and I lost them, but I do not mind being poor" .

Far from the bright lights of old, Fabián lives a quiet life, without enjoying such great material wealth, in his hometown, Paso de los Toros.

His comments hinted at his new way of life: ""I want to continue like this, I do not want to be next to the rich , I never wanted it, the rich one was me, Luckily there are still some aspects of normality. People who see that I am wrong and give me a backhand now and then."