Doctors have Oscar’s diagnosis: expert advises him to avoid standing up | OneFootball

The doctors at Albert Einstein Hospital released on Thursday (13th) the diagnosis of the problem suffered by midfielder Oscar, which led to his hospitalization at the medical facility located in the west zone of São Paulo’s capital since Tuesday (11th).

According to the medical bulletin released by São Paulo this afternoon, after extensive investigation, the number 8 was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope.

This condition is a common fainting episode caused by an exaggerated reaction of the vagus nerve to a trigger, such as standing for too long, emotional stress, seeing blood, physical exertion, or feeling hot. This causes a temporary drop in heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in loss of consciousness. Prior symptoms may include weakness, paleness, sweating, dizziness, and nausea.

Considered a problem that is usually easy to treat, doctors prescribe lifestyle changes, such as improving hydration, moderating salt intake, avoiding long periods without meals, steering clear of emotional triggers, and even using compression stockings to help with blood circulation. Medication is only administered in severe cases.

The concerning aspect, from Oscar’s professional standpoint, is that there is a medical recommendation to avoid standing for long periods during the recovery period. In other words, to put it simply, the midfielder is barred from training or practicing his profession for a period after being discharged.

“Obviously, I don’t know the case in depth, but from a distance, considering Oscar’s profession, the recommendation is prolonged rest with short periods of physical activity in the first few months. But more detailed exams would be needed to know if circulation is affected,” explained cardiologist Ricardo Neves, professor at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul and member of the Sul-Mato-Grossense Academy of Medicine, to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR.

In the bulletin released by the Morumbi club, it is stated that Oscar will undergo an electrophysiological study. Neves explains that the result will be decisive in determining whether the player can return to physical activities in a short period of time.

“This is not associated with the continuation or not of his career, but rather with a short-term return to training and games. It’s important to emphasize that,” Neves added.

Also according to the cardiologist, it is a circulatory problem that does not have a direct interference with the heart itself. “It does not mean that the person has heart failure or another cardiac problem that would prevent them from living their life normally,” he pointed out.

PLAYER REASSURES FANS

The attacking midfielder Oscar spoke out for the first time after being hospitalized on Tuesday (11th) for experiencing an incident with cardiac alterations during physical tests for São Paulo at the Barra Funda training center.

Through his social media, the number 8 sought to reassure fans and supporters, who were anxious about the news.

“Thank you very much for the messages and prayers. Everything will be fine, God willing,” he wrote.

Since the news of his hospitalization broke, Oscar has been receiving numerous messages of support from São Paulo fans and even from supporters of other clubs. Fans of Internacional, a club he also played for in Brazil, even posted videos praying for the player’s recovery.

Reassured by the club’s management, who visited Oscar throughout Tuesday, São Paulo players are expected to visit their teammate at the hospital this afternoon. According to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, Oscar even made a video call with all the players, who were deeply concerned about what had happened.

THE CASE

Hospitalized in a São Paulo hospital after suffering an incident with cardiac alterations, midfielder Oscar is expected to terminate his contract with São Paulo after being medically discharged and officially announce his retirement.

The information was confirmed to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR by three sources: one from the upper management of São Paulo football and two connected to the 34-year-old player, who has not played since the victory over Corinthians in the Brazilian Championship on July 19th.

According to AMT, it was right after that match that the number 8 underwent tests to evaluate a fracture of three lumbar vertebrae, which revealed cardiac problems. At that time, at Oscar’s own request, the case was not made public, becoming information shared off the record by doctors and spread only by São Paulo influencer pages.

Meanwhile, Oscar continued a routine of monitoring exams that indicated improvement in his clinical condition and allowed him to be cleared to participate in team activities. But the number 8 ended up getting injured again, suffering a muscle injury in his left calf.

Oscar then consulted Hernán Crespo’s coaching staff to understand the next steps. He was advised to understand his case first before making a decision. Shaken by criticism from fans, questions about his high salary, and reassured by tests that indicated improvement in his clinical situation, the number 8 then gave up on his family’s request for him to retire.

This morning, however, Oscar fainted during physical tests and left the Barra Funda training center by ambulance. The incident shocked everyone present, from players to staff.

The number 8 remains hospitalized, awaiting test results that will allow doctors to determine the origin of the cardiac alteration. But his condition is stable.

As per usual procedure and respecting the player’s privacy, new information will be released as soon as there is an update from the medical team, in agreement with Oscar.

THE NUMBER 8’S BAD LUCK AND THE DIFFICULTY OF REGAINING IDOL STATUS

As AMT revealed three weeks ago, the internal atmosphere at São Paulo was already pessimistic about the use of attacking midfielder Oscar in the final stretch of the Brazilian Championship, in which the team is fighting for a spot in the next edition of the Copa Libertadores.

Even before the new injury, there was already internal caution at the Morumbi club regarding their player. Oscar has not played for Tricolor since the victory over Corinthians at Morumbi on July 19th, in the Brazilian Championship. On that occasion, the midfielder suffered a fracture of three lumbar vertebrae and missed 16 matches while recovering from the injury.

In the last two games, the number 8 was listed by coach Hernán Crespo but did not take the field, still lacking optimal physical condition. This is yet another chapter in the history of disappointments for the attacking midfielder since his return to São Paulo after 15 years.

In practical and absolute numbers, Oscar suffered his fifth injury since the beginning of the year. This equals the total number of injuries he suffered in the 12 years he spent outside Brazil, between 2012 and 2024, with Chelsea in England and Shanghai Port in China.

Adding the four previous injuries, the number 8 spent 175 days recovering, available for 30 of the 57 matches played by the club this season. He made 23 appearances, 19 as a starter, and only nine for the full ninety minutes. In total, he played 1,591 minutes, equivalent to 31% of the team’s total playing time.

This is such a low rate that any debate about the exact value of his salary becomes irrelevant: it doesn’t matter if it’s closer to one million reais or three million, the cost-benefit is poor in any scenario, unless, perhaps, the contract was for a newly promoted youth player.

And this has sparked internal debates at Morumbi. According to AMT, there are quite a few people close to president Julio Casares who advocate for an amicable contract termination with the player for next year, easing the payroll. The subject, however, is being avoided for now by the football board.

In a press conference, Casares believes that Oscar’s signing, under the terms agreed, was done responsibly. São Paulo shares the responsibility of paying the player’s salary with Superbet, the club’s main sponsor.

“I believe that Oscar, like other players, was a responsible signing. When Oscar chose São Paulo, he was being sought after by two other major clubs in Brazil. The fact that he got injured is within the sporting context, as other players also have such incidents. We hope he will be in our squad, recovering, and can bring us the joy he was signed for,” he said.

“He was signed with a partnership in which a little less than half was contributed by the sponsor. All of this gives us confidence that the renewal with Superbet also contributed to Oscar’s arrival. I believe Oscar’s arrival was highly responsible, as all our signings have been. It’s clear that some don’t work out immediately. The less obvious ones happen over time, like the case of Marcos Antonio. Signings have a degree of subjectivity. Over time, the dynamics answer the question of what was right and what was wrong, which sometimes depends on other factors,” the president continued.

Oscar has become the portrait of what São Paulo swore to avoid: high investment and low return from names that symbolize the past. The recent history of players returning from China already indicated the risk: Alexandre Pato, Éder Citadini, Hernanes, and Miranda all had stints with performances well below expectations—and, of these, only Pato escaped frequent injuries.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.