Oscar reassures fans after hospital stay: "Everything will be fine" | OneFootball

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

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

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

Since news of the hospitalization broke, Oscar has received numerous messages of support from São Paulo fans and even 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 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 extremely anxious about what had happened.

THE CASE

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

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

According to information gathered by AMT, it was right after that match that the number 8 underwent tests to assess a fracture in three lumbar vertebrae, which revealed heart 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 exams that indicated improvement in his clinical condition and allowed him to be cleared for activities with the squad. But the number 8 ended up getting injured again, suffering a muscle injury in his left calf.

Oscar then consulted with Hernán Crespo’s staff to understand the next steps. He was advised to understand his case first before making a decision. Upset by criticism from fans, questions about his high salary, and reassured by exams 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 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 IN 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 hasn’t played for Tricolor since the victory over Corinthians at Morumbi on July 19, 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 ended up not playing, still lacking better physical condition. It’s 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. This equals the total number of injuries he suffered in the 12 years he spent outside Brazil, between 2012 and 2024, playing for 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 spent 1,591 minutes on the field, equivalent to 31% of the team’s total playing time.

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 contract 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 it was agreed, was carried out 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—other players also go through this. 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 a little less than half was contributed by the sponsor. All of this gives us certainty that the renewal with Superbet also contributed to Oscar’s arrival. I believe Oscar’s signing was highly responsible, as have all our signings been. Obviously, 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 successes and failures, which sometimes depend 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.