Luiz Gustavo nets first São Paulo goal, opens up on health scare | OneFootball

The midfielder Luiz Gustavo scored his first goal for São Paulo this Sunday in the 2-0 victory over Vasco, during the 31st round of the Brazilian Championship. The athlete returned to play at the beginning of the month after being away from the field for six months due to a pulmonary thromboembolism. Luiz Gustavo made a lengthy personal statement and praised the Tricolor's work.

“They say it's difficult, you have to overcome yourself. Today's word is gratitude. I am very grateful for my life, to God for giving me the opportunity to do what I love most. Every day I train, play, when I'm with the younger guys, I try to show them the opportunity they have to play football. It's a privilege, you can achieve everything so quickly and sometimes let it slip through your hands, due to vanity, wanting fame, enjoying, wanting to go out and forgetting the most important thing which is work,” he began to Premiere.

“In football, you have to give a lot. The more you work, the more it will pay off. The balance cannot be leisure, pleasure... it has to be work, concentration, and then leisure. I've done this my whole life and the older I get, I joke with some. In these difficult moments, they have always helped me. With all my faith in God, without Him, I think I wouldn't be here. I am grateful for the opportunity to live, to do what I love, everything I have been achieving personally. The personal side is worth much more. I think when I retire, they will remember Luiz Gustavo the person more than the professional. This will give me pleasure and pride to do what my family taught me: education and respect for others. I want to enjoy, make the most of it,” he continued.

Luiz Gustavo calls for staying grounded and aims to achieve goals with São Paulo

São Paulo was going through a delicate moment and before securing two consecutive victories (Bahia and Vasco), they had a sequence of three defeats. The triumph over Vasco leaves the Tricolor with 44 points, four away from the Libertadores qualification zone, which should gain another spot, becoming G7, since this year's final is between the leaders Palmeiras and Flamengo.

“Today's result is a consequence of everything we are doing. Everyone has worked hard, we are deserving it. We went through difficult moments, but we have a goal and we will go game by game after it,” he analyzed.

“Lucas, I, São Paulo, in general, went through difficult moments, but now is a moment where everyone is happy, everyone wins. We must continue with our feet on the ground, working... we have tough games, but we have the capacity and potential to use this as motivation, as something extra to want to finish the season in positions to play the Libertadores. I think everyone is focused on this and we will pursue it,” he stated.

This was Luiz Gustavo's fourth match since his return. This year, he has six games and one goal.

Remember Luiz Gustavo's case

On April 5th, on the eve of the trip to Belo Horizonte, where São Paulo would face Atlético-MG, for the Brasileirão, Luiz Gustavo complained of chest pains. The player was taken to the Albert Einstein Hospital and, after examinations, a pulmonary thromboembolism was diagnosed.

Luiz Gustavo remained hospitalized for three days. Subsequently, he followed a specific work schedule developed by a specialist. The player was inactive until June 17th, when he returned to training separately at the Barra Funda training center.

A little over a month later, Luiz Gustavo began participating in some activities with the rest of the squad, always avoiding physical contact. Although São Paulo's professionals coordinated the midfielder's training, a specialist doctor continued to monitor the entire process. He played his first game after returning on October 2nd, in the victory over Fortaleza.

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