Gala Caldirola, a Spanish model and Mauricio Pinilla's former partner, spoke this week on Chilevisión's Plan Perfecto about the former Chile national team striker's personal situation. Pinilla arrived at Clínica Las Condes on Tuesday after becoming unwell.
According to BioBioChile, the clinic ruled out a heart attack and discharged him. The former footballer later confirmed that he was resting at home. According to Publimetro, Pinilla attributed the episode to stress, panic attacks and anguish.
Caldirola said she could attest to those episodes because she witnessed them firsthand during their relationship. "Mauro has been dealing with panic attacks for many years. I can confirm that because I experienced it when I was with him," she told the panel.
She also shared her own experience. "I too have ended up at the clinic on occasion with terrible anxiety, feeling like I'm going to have a cardiac arrest," the panelist said.
During the conversation, host Fran García-Huidobro suggested that Pinilla should put his health ahead of work commitments. Caldirola replied that, in their darkest moments, people can find it very difficult to muster the motivation to look after themselves, even when encouraged to do so.
Publimetro reported another episode from the broadcast. During the program, Pinilla texted Caldirola to deny journalist Cecilia Gutiérrez's account that the former footballer had been partying at a bar in the eastern part of the city and had allegedly spent around $7 million. "The only thing he wants to clarify is that it is absolutely false," the Spanish model read on air.
Caldirola also highlighted Pinilla's relationship with his children and urged people not to judge him. "Rather than judging him, it's about supporting him. I know his family is always there, and I hope he finds some motivation," she concluded. The sources do not report whether Pinilla will undergo any treatment or when he will return to work.
