'I Used to Cry Every Day' – Benni McCarthy Opens Up About Painful Celta Vigo Spell

Benni McCarthy has opened up about his time at Celta Vigo, describing his spell in Spain as one of the most painful periods of his career.

The current Kenya national football team head coach joined the Spanish side in the summer of 1999 from Dutch giants AFC Ajax for a reported €6 million (1,000 million pesetas) when he was just 21 years old.

During his time with the Galician club, McCarthy made history for South African football in La Liga, scoring an impressive 16 goals across all competitions in his debut season.

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However, despite his success on the pitch, McCarthy revealed that he endured racist abuse off it, admitting that the experience left him battling depression for much of his time in Spain.

Benni McCarthy explained that Rob Moore had a significant impact on him during a particularly difficult stage of his career, when he felt emotionally exposed and uncertain about his future in football.

He noted that his early years in Europe had been very successful following his move from South Africa to AFC Ajax, where he gained valuable experience and matured both as a player and a person.

Benni McCarthy said that those formative years had filled him with confidence and ambition, leaving him eager to test himself on an even bigger stage when he later moved to Celta Vigo in Spain. He recalled that his time there initially began on a very positive note, with promising performances and optimism about what lay ahead in La Liga.

However, he added that the situation changed very quickly, as circumstances around him deteriorated almost overnight. The Manchester United coach admitted that the sudden shift was difficult to process at the time, leaving him confused and struggling to understand why things had taken such a negative turn despite the strong start he had made.

“I knew the language barrier was a problem like the culture it was it was hard to fit in. So, I tried through football and football wasn't enough you know when you when you not Spanish and you don't look like them,” Benni McCarthy said in an interview with 947 Joburg.

“It's tough. It is tough…it really was like if you miss one click you're taken you know so you always had to be on your feet you always had to be really sharp but it was more the fact of you know that you're far away from home, you don't have your family you don't have nothing and people make you they make you feel that you don't belong.”

Benni McCarthy revealed that his time at Celta Vigo became emotionally draining due to the persistent racist abuse he experienced from sections of the supporters.

He explained that the situation forced him into isolation, as he often chose to remain at home rather than go out in public to avoid the offensive insults directed at him.

Benni McCarthy said it was especially painful because the hostility came from people who claimed to support the same football club he represented, yet treated him differently because of the color of his skin.

He admitted that the experience left him feeling deeply hurt and exposed, adding that it was one of the rare moments in his life when he felt extremely vulnerable.

“So, I used to cry every day when I come back from training. Why do I even go to training? I go to training. I try and be the best that I could possibly be, kill the coach's tactical sessions because I destroy the team when I'm in the reserve team,” he added.

“I destroy them so that you know that it messes up his tactical like sessions when I go home. I was like I'd rather just pack up my bags. I go the contract and go to hell and I'll find another way out. That was how I had it in in in at Celta and then yeah then came Porto so then I shifted alliances.”

Benni McCarthy added that the difficult circumstances eventually pushed him to seek a fresh start away from Spain, a move that ultimately led him to join FC Porto, where he later rebuilt his confidence and rediscovered his form.