Luan: Luciano’s support and therapy key in tough São Paulo times | OneFootball

Luan, São Paulo’s defensive midfielder, revealed that he received help from forward Luciano while recovering from a serious injury at São Paulo. The player stated that the number 10 was his only motivation to continue treatment.

Right in the first training session under coach Rogério Ceni at Tricolor, in October 2021, Luan, then a guaranteed starter for the team, suffered a left thigh injury that sidelined him. In June of the following year, he underwent surgery due to complications from the injury and went through another period away from the pitch.

“After so long in football, in that environment and with the people I loved being around the most, I couldn’t stand the idea of just watching from the sidelines, especially at a time when I had so much to grow. In those moments, it’s hard to notice the dust settling on us. I think it happens little by little. In my case, I started losing the will to go to the training center. I was almost giving up on physiotherapy, and if I did that, the next step would certainly be giving up on myself,” Luan said in an interview with the portal Players Tribune.

“The one who gave me strength during that time was Luciano, another great friend football brought into my life. He would call me every day at 8 a.m. sharp: ‘Where are you, Pit? (Luan’s nickname). I’m already here at the training center waiting for you. You’re coming, right? Are you on your way?’ ”

“I didn’t have the strength to get out of bed, but I’d get dressed and go just because of Luciano. Thanks to him, I continued the treatment and recovered. Physically, at least,” Luan reported.

Offer from a Rival

After recovering from injury, the player revealed that he received an offer from a rival of São Paulo to leave the club that developed him. He, however, never wanted to leave Tricolor.

“Remember I said that the support in Cotia would be fundamental in helping me make the biggest decisions of my career? So, after recovering from the injury, I had some offers to leave São Paulo, including from a rival club,” he recounted.

“There was a lot of talk at that time. That I didn’t want to stay, that I wasn’t focused, that I was forcing my way out. Man, that’s not true… I never thought about leaving São Paulo, never saw myself anywhere else. Since I wasn’t playing, I didn’t even have the chance to explain this to the fans. But the truth is, out of respect and gratitude, I would only leave if it was the club’s wish,” he added.

Seeking Therapy

After losing his place at São Paulo, Luan was loaned to Vitória in 2024, where he became a regular starter. After the loan, however, the midfielder was left out of the plans of the São Paulo club, during which time he decided to seek therapy.

During this period, Luan went through an episode involving Luciano, Jandrei, Alan Franco, and Alisson. After a team match in the Paulistão, the midfielder sent messages to his teammates, who went to his house to help him. Luan, however, did not let them in.

“I locked myself in the basement and didn’t come out to talk to them. From inside, sobbing so much I could barely speak, I begged them to become champions. I felt enormous shame. Not for that depressing scene, but for not playing, not enjoying the daily life with my teammates, not being able to help them on the field, and not knowing how to get rid of that feeling that the whole world was against me,” he recounted.

“That’s when I decided to seek help and started therapy. Alone, I would hardly have gotten out of my basement. It’s been good for me. Today I understand that the pains that brought me down didn’t just come from a tiny piece of bone lodged in the muscle of my leg. They are very old wounds, and they only stop burning if I can talk about them. If I can ‘work through them,’ as Rosana Costa, my psychologist, says,” he added.

Comeback

Today, Luan has regained his place at São Paulo and has been getting opportunities under coach Hernan Crespo, who has been essential for his resurgence at the Morumbis club. Since the Argentine’s return to Tricolor, the midfielder has been back in the squad and has played in five matches.

“It was emotional in Crespo’s first training session. I told him he could count on me for whatever he needed. If it was to start on the bench and come in for just five minutes, that was fine. If it was to play 90 minutes, extra time, and penalties, that was fine. If it was not to be in the squad, that was fine. If it was to be substituted, that was fine. I just wanted to help in some way. Crespo didn’t promise me anything. He just gave me a hug and told me to keep working,” he commented.

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