Oscar suffered heart trouble in July, set to leave São Paulo and retire | OneFootball

Hospitalized in a hospital in São Paulo’s capital after suffering a complication with cardiac alterations, midfielder Oscar is expected to terminate his contract with São Paulo after being medically discharged and officially announce his retirement from his career.

The information was confirmed to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR by three sources: one from São Paulo football’s top 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 what AMT found out, it was right after that match that the number 8 underwent tests to evaluate the fracture of 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 spread only 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 participate in activities 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 coaching staff to understand the next steps. He was advised to first understand his case before making a decision. Shaken by the 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 is an update from the medical team, in agreement with Oscar.

THE NUMBER 8’S BAD LUCK AND DIFFICULTY RECLAIMING 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 win 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 included in the squad by coach Hernán Crespo but ended up not playing, still lacking better physical condition. It’s yet another chapter in the attacking midfielder’s history of disappointments since 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 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 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 the exact value of his 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. As AMT found out, 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 board.

In a press conference, Casares believes that Oscar’s signing, under the terms agreed, was done responsibly. São Paulo shares responsibility for 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 part of the sporting landscape, as other players also have such setbacks. We hope he will be in our squad, recovering, and can bring the joys for which he was signed,” he said.

“He was signed with a partnership, with just under half funded 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 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 spells 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.