Gustavinho video at altitude goes viral, Santos say oxygen was taken | OneFootball

A behind-the-scenes clip of Gustavinho struggling for breath after Santos’s game at altitude has gone viral, prompting debate over medical support in the dressing room.

Footage from Estádio Bellavista in Ambato, Ecuador, after Thursday’s 0-0 Copa Sudamericana draw with Macará showed players gasping, with no oxygen cylinders visible and criticism spreading online. According to Diario Do Peixe, Santos travelled with four large oxygen cylinders for the tie and routinely do so for altitude fixtures.

At around 2,600 metres there is no formal indication to administer oxygen, so the cylinders were held in reserve as a precaution. Post-match checks showed no drop in players’ oximetry that would have required their use, and discomfort can reflect both altitude and its psychological impact.

Gustavinho, who completed the match, appeared breathless in the dressing room as team-mate Davizinho joked while others recovered. He later said he felt fine, and the video caption reassured supporters he had recovered.

Santos have experienced more severe conditions before, notably a 2017 Libertadores trip to La Paz, over 3,600 metres, against The Strongest. That finished 1-1 and secured early progress to the round of 16 despite Bruno Henrique’s red card on 22 minutes, with several players using oxygen masks, including Cleber Reis.

The result in Ambato sent Santos through to the quarter-finals after a 2-1 first-leg win, with Atlético-MG their next opponents.

Source: Diario Do Peixe

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