São Paulo must settle R$62 million debt to finalise Oscar’s release | OneFootball

The rumored termination between Oscar and São Paulo may not be as amicable as it is being portrayed. This is because the club still owes around R$ 62 million to the 34-year-old player, who has been hospitalized since last Tuesday (11) due to a cardiac incident during physical tests at the Barra Funda training center.

The amount, as reported by AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, includes overdue salaries, image rights, and bonuses that the club still needs to settle with the attacking midfielder.

Sources consulted by the report indicate that if Oscar decides to retire, as requested by his family, São Paulo plans to offer a deduction of part of the amount and to pay the remaining sum in installments.

Oscar is the third highest-paid player in Brazilian football, behind Corinthians' Memphis Depay and Santos' Neymar. His years in China, where he was among the ten highest-paid athletes in the world, have earned him an estimated fortune of over R$ 1 billion. So, if he decides to retire, money won't be an issue.

"But let's stay calm; it's not the time to talk about money. The important thing is his recovery," said one of the people interviewed by AMT.

Oscar remains hospitalized and underwent new tests throughout the day. The midfielder had an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and neck ultrasound, which are part of the investigation protocol to understand the causes of the fainting that occurred while he was exercising on the stationary bike.

Additionally, the number 8 remains monitored by a Holter exam, which checks the heart rhythm. For now, no anomalies have been identified, and the player is expected to be discharged by Friday (13), as his condition is stable.

This does not mean, however, that Oscar will be able to return to training or other activities at the Barra Funda training center with the rest of his teammates. As a precaution, he will be given a few days of rest.

PLAYER REASSURES FANS

The attacking midfielder Oscar spoke out for the first time after being hospitalized on Tuesday (11) for experiencing a cardiac incident during physical tests at São Paulo's Barra Funda training center.

Through his social media, the number 8 sought 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 solidarity from São Paulo fans and even supporters of other clubs. Fans of Internacional, a club he also played for in Brazil, have posted videos praying for the player's recovery.

Reassured by the management, who visited Oscar on Tuesday, São Paulo players are expected to visit their teammate at the hospital this afternoon. According to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, a video call was made by Oscar with all the players, who were immensely worried about the incident.

THE CASE

Hospitalized in a São Paulo hospital after suffering a cardiac incident, 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 São Paulo's top football management 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 AMT, after this match, the number 8 underwent evaluation exams for a fracture of three lumbar vertebrae that revealed cardiac problems. At that time, at Oscar's request, the case was not disclosed, becoming information shared off the record by doctors and spread only by São Paulo influencers' 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 team. 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. Affected by the criticism from fans, questions about his high salary, and reassured by exams indicating improvement in his clinical situation, the number 8 then gave up the family request 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 exam 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.

TOUGH LUCK FOR NUMBER 8 AND DIFFICULTY IN REGAINING IDOL STATUS

As AMT revealed three weeks ago, the internal atmosphere at São Paulo was already pessimistic about Oscar's performance in the team during this final stretch of the Brazilian Championship, where 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 the 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 recovering from the injury.

In the last two games, the number 8 was listed by coach Hernán Crespo but ended up not playing, still feeling the lack of better physical condition. It's 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 beginning of the year. This equals the total number of injuries he suffered in the 12 years he spent outside Brazil, 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 of the 57 matches played by the club this season. He played 23 times, starting nineteen and only nine for the full ninety minutes. In total, he spent 1,591 minutes on the field, equivalent to 31% of the total played by the team.

It's such a low rate that any debate about the exact value of his salary becomes irrelevant: it doesn't matter if it's closer to one million reais or three million, the cost-benefit is poor in any scenario, unless, perhaps, if the contract was for a newly-promoted youth player.

And it sparks internal debates at Morumbi. As AMT found out, there are many people close to president Julio Casares who advocate for an attempt at an amicable termination with the player for next year, easing the payroll. However, the subject is currently avoided 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 by two other major clubs in Brazil. The fact that he got injured is within a sports panorama, where other players also have such incidents. We hope he will be in our squad recovering and can bring the joy for which he was signed," he stated.

"He was signed with a partnership where a little less than half was provided by the sponsor. This all gives us the certainty that the renewal with Superbet also contributed to Oscar's arrival. I believe Oscar's arrival was highly responsible, as have all the signings been responsible. It's evident that some don't happen at the moment. Those less evident happen over time, like the case of Marcos Antonio. Signings have a subjectivity. The dynamics over time answer the question of hits and misses, which sometimes depend on other factors," continued the president.

Oscar has become the epitome 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 performances well below expectations — and, among them, only Pato escaped frequent injuries.

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