Uli Borowka was renowned as one of the toughest defenders in the early 1990s, an international for West Germany and a two-time Bundesliga champion with Werder Bremen. However, even during his playing career, he grappled with alcohol dependency. Here, he opens up about how addiction cost him everything before he dedicated himself to assisting others in their battles.
Q: Uli Borowka, do you recall the last time you had a drink?
A: I remember the precise date: it was March 8, 2000. I was standing in front of a rehab clinic in Bad Fredeburg, Sauerland, finishing off a case of beer. Alcohol was strictly forbidden inside, so I felt I needed to get my fill beforehand as a precaution.
Q: Was entering the clinic your own decision?
A: Not entirely. My good friend and former Gladbach player, Christian Hochstätter, found me a place and persuaded me to go. At the time, I thought I`d only be there for a few weeks. Today, I can honestly say he saved my life.
Q: In the 1980s and 90s, you were considered one of the Bundesliga`s top defenders. Yet, you were dependent on alcohol even then. What did the addiction take from you?
A: It took nearly everything: my wife, my two children from my first marriage, my friends, my career, my money. While drunk, I beat my wife; I borrowed money from friends that they never saw again; I once woke up under a bridge with a one-centimetre cut on my head and no memory of how I got there. I even attempted suicide once.
Q: What does being sober for over 25 years signify for you?
A: It`s one of the greatest achievements of my life. I am very proud of it, particularly because I understand the brutal nature of addiction. It typically ends in death or a prolonged period of suffering. In my role as an addiction counselor, I now support people who have gone through up to 15 cold turkey withdrawals and still relapsed. I succeeded back then, but I will continue to fight addiction for the rest of my life.
Q: For over a decade, you`ve led an organization supporting addiction and prevention, working with both athletes and the general public. Given that football mirrors society, how does the risk posed by alcohol addiction today compare to your era?
A: Addictions have shifted. Mobile phone addiction, gaming addiction, and internet addiction are now widespread and equally dangerous. The fundamental problems are the same; only the specific dependencies have changed.
Q: Does this hold true even in contemporary top-tier football, which is far more professional than in the 80s and 90s?
A: Addiction doesn`t discriminate based on your job. We consume because we need an outlet to cope with pressure, the hectic pace of life, and/or stress. Public scrutiny on professional footballers` lives is far more intense today than it was then, partly thanks to social media. Players are under enormous pressure; they`re stressed, and their worth is often defined solely by their performances. Not everyone has the inner strength to cope with those circumstances.
Uli Borowka discusses his past addiction struggles at a prevention event in Oppenheim.
Q: Besides counseling individuals, you frequently highlight the sensitive topic of how football and society address addiction. Why do you feel this is crucial?
A: Because I consistently observe that we haven`t progressed as much as we sometimes tell ourselves. For example, I am still stigmatized for being a recovering alcoholic. When I was released from the hospital and wanted to get back on my feet, I applied to 20 different clubs in Germany. I had played for my national team, won the German championship and the European Cup Winners` Cup. I would have done any job. But all 20 clubs turned me down because they were afraid I would relapse. I still encounter these and similar prejudices today, and I am not alone in this. We are nowhere near as open as we would like to be.
Borowka played an impressive 388 Bundesliga matches for Bremen and Gladbach.
Q: How do you actively combat this stigma?
A: By simply carrying on. On behalf of the Sepp Herberger Foundation, I tour youth detention centers and speak with the inmates there. This has long since become a labor of love. I`m also booked by clubs, associations, and employers. Everywhere I go, I share my story and raise awareness about addiction. In my capacity as an addiction expert, I am like I used to be as a player: uncompromising and always straightforward.
Q: How do you evaluate the role of professional clubs in national leagues regarding addiction prevention and precaution?
A: While this is addressed in the regulations for youth performance centers, implementing specific solutions takes a long time. Many people simply don`t know anything about addiction, and prevention isn`t part of the training for coaches or youth development managers. I`ve been in contact with some clubs for years, and a few have recognized how important this is when working with young people. I welcome any interest in my work in this area. I am so confident that I can say that when it comes to addiction prevention, especially in competitive sports, I am a complete professional.
Q: Your work requires trust and confidentiality. Can you share any specific examples you`re permitted to discuss?
A: Only those in which the affected individuals or their relatives agreed to the public being informed. Like in the case of former national ice hockey player Constantin Braun, for whom I was able to secure a place in a rehabilitation clinic. Or Werder Bremen legend Horst-Dieter Höttges, who was already very ill but whom we were able to help in the last years of his life.
Uli Borowka celebrates winning the Bundesliga title (Meisterschale) in 1993.
Q: How do you start helping someone who comes to you saying, `I have a problem, please help me`?
A: Firstly, when someone takes this step, admits to themselves that they have a problem and asks for help, it is a huge achievement. I see myself as a first point of contact, a mediator between clinics, doctors, and therapists. It must be said, though, that detox clinics in Germany are completely full. Even with my contacts, it sometimes takes months to get a place. And of course, I continue to support people even after they`ve completed detox. As I mentioned at the beginning, that is when the struggle really begins.
Borowka challenges Argentina`s Diego Maradona during his playing career.
Q: Could Uli Borowka, the addiction counselor, have helped Uli Borowka, the professional footballer struggling with alcoholism?
A: Hard to say. I was a self-absorbed and self-important person who convinced myself I didn`t have a problem. After all, I always performed, won titles, and did exactly what I was paid to do. This combination ultimately proved to be my downfall. Fortunately, today I often work with people who are much more open to seeking help than I was back then.
