Doctors have a diagnosis for Oscar: specialist advises “avoid standing” | OneFootball

The doctors at Albert Einstein Hospital released on Thursday (13th) the diagnosis of the issue 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 a long time, 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 socks 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, simply put, the midfielder is prohibited from training or practicing his profession for a period after being discharged.

“Obviously, I don’t know the case in depth, but observing from afar, given 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 his circulation is affected,” explained cardiologist Ricardo Neves, professor at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul and member of the South Mato Grosso Academy of Medicine, to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR.

In the bulletin released by the Morumbi club, it is indicated 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 related to the continuation or not of his career, but rather to a short-term return to training and matches. It’s important to emphasize this,” Neves added.

Still according to the cardiologist, it is a circulatory problem, which does not have a direct interference with anything in the heart. “It does not mean that the person has heart failure or another cardiac issue 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 made sure 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 received numerous messages of support from São Paulo fans and even from supporters of other clubs. Fans of Internacional, the club he also played for in Brazil, even posted videos praying for the player’s recovery.

Reassured by the board, 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 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 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 close 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 assess a fracture in 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 only spread by São Paulo influencer pages.

Meanwhile, Oscar followed a routine of monitoring tests that indicated improvement in his clinical condition and allowed him to be cleared to train with the squad. But the number 8 ended up getting injured again, suffering a muscle injury in his left calf.

Oscar then consulted Hernán Crespo’s 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 indicating 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 standard procedure and respecting the player’s privacy, new information will be released as soon as there are updates from the medical team, in agreement with Oscar.

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

As AMT revealed three weeks ago, the internal atmosphere at São Paulo was already pessimistic about Oscar’s contribution to the team in this 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 in 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 ended up not playing, still lacking better physical condition. This is yet another chapter in the history of disappointments for the attacking midfielder in his return to São Paulo after 15 years.

In practical and absolute numbers, Oscar suffered his fifth injury since the start of the year. Thus, he equals the total number of injuries he suffered in the 12 years he spent abroad, 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 out of the 57 matches played by the club this season. He played in 23 matches, starting nineteen and only playing the full ninety minutes in nine. In total, he spent 1,591 minutes on the field, equivalent to 31% of the total played by the team.

This is such a low rate that any debate about his exact salary becomes irrelevant: it doesn’t matter whether 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 it sparks internal debates at Morumbi. According to AMT, there are quite a few people close to president Julio Casares who advocate for an amicable termination with the player for next year, easing the payroll. The subject, however, is being avoided for now by the football management.

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 part of the sporting landscape, as other players also experience such incidents. We hope he will be in our squad, recovering, and can bring the joy for which he was signed,” he said.

“He was signed with a partnership in which just under 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 have all our signings. Obviously, some don’t work out right away. The less obvious ones happen over time, like the case of Marcos Antonio. Signings have a subjectivity. Over time, the dynamics answer the question of what was right and 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 had stints with performances well below expectations — and, of those, only Pato escaped frequent injuries.

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