Bayern Munich defender Lucas Hernandez has spoken about the difficult childhood he and his brother, Theo, had after their father abandoned his family.
Lucas, 23, and Theo, 21, have not met or heard from their father, former Atletico Madrid and Marseille quarterback Jean-Francois Hernandez, since their parents separated 16 years ago.
Although they have followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming professional footballers and spending time at Atletico, the 2018 World Cup winners have made no attempt to get in touch with his father.
Lucas admits it has not been easy for them to grow up without a father, but believes it has been better for them since he did not love them.
“I never tried to contact him. Of course, when I was very young, I thought about where he could be and I wanted to know more about him”, Hernandez told Goal.
“However, the more time was spent, the less he was part of my thoughts. When I grew up I thought more about my life and myself”, he added.
“Eventually I realized that he left because he didn’t want us. And since he did not love us, he is well gone. I’m 23 now, but I was only five when he left us. It’s been 16 years since we haven’t heard from him. I don’t know where he is, or what he does. I don’t know if he is alive or not”, he said.
Lucas, however, feels blessed as his mother has been able to fulfill two roles and worked to raise them.
“We have never understood why he left. We grew up with mom. She lived, worked and gave everything to us. We didn’t miss anything”, he concluded
