Luiz Gustavo: Playing football is a privilege, fun comes second | OneFootball

Crowned with the second goal in São Paulo’s 2-0 victory over Vasco on Sunday night (2), in the 31st round of the Brasileirão, midfielder Luiz Gustavo gave a true lesson in life and overcoming adversity as he spoke about his views on football.

The Tricolor veteran went through a major personal ordeal this season, when he was sidelined for a long time after suffering a pulmonary thromboembolism that struck him, but did not bring him down.

Now at 38 years old, Luiz Gustavo recovered and returned to play for São Paulo, something he was extremely grateful for in his interview after the win in Rio de Janeiro (RJ).

“I think the word for today is gratitude, I am very grateful for my life, I am very grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to do what I love most, and every day when I train, when I play, when I’m with any younger player, I try to show them the opportunity they have to be a football player,” he told CazéTV.

“It’s a privilege to be able to achieve so much so quickly through football, and many times we let opportunities slip through our fingers. Out of vanity, wanting fame, wanting to go out, wanting to enjoy and forgetting the most important thing, which is work. In football, you have to give a lot to it, and the more you work, the more it will give back to you. And the balance can’t be leisure, pleasure, and then football; it has to be work, football, focus, and then leisure,” the midfielder emphasized.

“So, that’s what I’ve done my whole life. I think the older I get, I joke, when it’s tough, when I’m tired, I say, ‘Hey, I’ve never neglected you, body, and today I need you, help me out’,” said the Tricolor player, who continued.

“And in these tough moments, it has always helped me, with all my faith in God—without Him, I don’t think I’d be here—for the opportunity to live, for the opportunity to do what I love, for my family, for everything I’ve been achieving personally, not professionally, I think the personal side is worth much more, I think when I retire, people will remember Luis Gustavo more as a person than as a professional.”

“And that’s what will give me pleasure and pride, to have done everything my mother told me, my father taught me, my grandmother taught me, which is to have manners, respect others, and be a humble person at all times and enjoy life.”

“I want to make the most of it, thank you God, thank you to my family, all my friends who have been by my side. And I think that’s it, today’s result is a consequence of everything we’ve been doing, everyone has been working very hard, so we’ve earned it, we’ve been through tough situations. Now we have goals to reach until the end of the season and we’re going after them game by game,” concluded the experienced São Paulo midfielder.

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