At last! Oscar ‘has a rethink’ and ends his São Paulo deal | OneFootball

At last, the tragic soap opera between São Paulo and Oscar is over. After a highly turbulent start, when the still-young attacking midfielder left the club after winning a legal battle to join Internacional, he came back—against the wishes of many fans—and practically did not play. Now, he has reached an agreement with Tricolor and finally signed his contract termination.

The agreement between the parties was confirmed through the CBF’s BID, which published on Thursday night (2) the termination of the former São Paulo No. 8’s contract with the club that developed him.

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned that the deal provides for the payment of around R$10 million to the player, a figure far below the R$60 million projected through December 2027, when his contract would have expired.

A MOMENT OF CONSCIENCE

The difference is explained by the midfielder’s own decision to give up a significant part of what he would have been entitled to receive, choosing to consider only the period through November of last year, when he suffered a sudden illness during tests at CT da Barra Funda, later diagnosed as vasovagal syncope.

Which seems nothing more than fair. Those fighting over the higher figures were the people managing Oscar’s career, who insisted on the right to receive everything provided for in the contract, which was valid through the end of 2027 and estimated at around R$53 million.

THE CASE

One of the most discussed issues by São Paulo’s new president, Harry Massis Júnior, with the professional football staff was the progress of negotiations to terminate attacking midfielder Oscar’s contract. He did not report back for this season and has only not officially announced his retirement yet precisely because he had not reached an agreement with the Morumbi club over the amounts he is still owed under the contract that runs through the end of 2027.

According to what AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR found, Massis wanted more speed in the process. When he received São Paulo’s accounts from CEO Márcio Carlomagno, the chairman and his allies realized that defining how much Oscar will cost the club monthly is essential to determine how much cash flow will be used up and how much the club will be able to invest in the squad for the rest of the year.

Massis’ pressure falls mainly on the legal and financial departments, since the saga over the former No. 8’s termination still seems far from a resolution. In fact, at this moment the two sides have disagreements on the matter.

AMT has already revealed that, in the calculations made by Oscar and his camp, São Paulo owes him approximately R$62 million, adding up salary, image rights, and signing bonuses.

In at least three meetings held since December, all of them while Tricolor was still chaired by Julio Casares, Oscar showed himself willing to split the amount into more than 24 monthly installments. But the Morumbi club disputed the figure. Since then, the legal and financial departments have been combing through the contract and the accounts to confirm whether the amount is correct or not.

The midfielder’s lawyers argue that Casares may have acknowledged the debt when he suggested that Oscar receive the installments as salary in a possible managerial internship he would do in Cotia. Oscar wants to remain in football after retiring, and this would be a way for him to stay at São Paulo while preparing for the new role.

The opening created by the former president, however, was ignored at the request of the former No. 8, who does not want fights or conflicts and accepted the deadline for the internal audit to learn São Paulo’s response.

In fact, also at Oscar’s instruction to his lawyers, the consensus between the parties so far is that the attacking midfielder and the club will simply terminate the contract amicably, that is, without either side paying a penalty. And that he will waive what he would have been entitled to receive from this month onward for the remainder of the contract.

FAMILY PRESSURE

Oscar’s decision to hang up his boots came after he suffered vasovagal syncope on November 11.

At first, Oscar was only expected to return to work when the squad reported back for the 2026 preseason. But São Paulo’s board has maintained its position of leaving the decision of when and how to return to training in his hands.

That would also give the No. 8 more time to decide whether or not to retire, as his family wants.

Oscar was hospitalized in a hospital in the western part of São Paulo after suffering a complication with cardiac changes during tests carried out at CT da Barra Funda. Oscar even fainted and lost consciousness during a physical assessment activity.

An extensive investigation carried out at the hospital confirmed that the player suffered an episode of vasovagal syncope. Stable and clinically well throughout the entire period he was hospitalized, the athlete is following a medical rest plan over the next few days.

Now that the scare has passed, there is a consensus within Tricolor that there is no kind of hurry or pressure for the midfielder’s return. Oscar will stay away from activities for as long as he feels necessary and will have the club’s full support in his decision.

The same applies to the future. São Paulo officials have not brought up the subject of ending his career with the No. 8 at any point. Officially or not, the stance is the same: Oscar has a contract through the end of 2027, the priority now is his recovery not only physically but emotionally, and the decision is strictly personal.

From São Paulo’s side, the order is to keep things contractually as they are, with no changes to clauses or amounts.

“He has two more years left on his contract, and we will give him whatever time is necessary for his recovery and for him to think about what is best for him. The important thing is that it was nothing serious and that he is already with his family. Our priority is to see him well. There is not even any reason for any discussion beyond that. Above all, we respect what Oscar means and his importance to São Paulo,” a source from the top of São Paulo’s football department told AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, asking not to be identified.

Signed at the start of the season, Oscar has two goals and five assists in the 21 matches he played for São Paulo. Sources close to the player consulted by the report say that the family’s request is for him to hang up his boots. But the matter has not been discussed again since he was discharged from the hospital, partly as a way not to put pressure on him.

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