Chelsea cult hero cancels contract and announces retirement after collapsing in training

Chelsea cult hero cancels contract and announces retirement after collapsing in trainingFormer Chelsea and Brazil star Oscar has had to end his career prematurely after announcing the news in an emotional statementCommentsSportIsaac Seelochan Senior Sports Journalist14:49, 05 Apr 2026Updated 14:51, 05 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesFormer Chelsea player Oscar has retired from football (Image: 2025 Sports Press Photo)Former Chelsea star Oscar has been forced to retire from professional football after collapsing in training due to a heart condition. The Brazilian announced this weekend that he had been forced to hang up his boots prematurely because of his health.‌The 34-year-old was treated in hospital after becoming unwell at what turned out to be his final club, Sao Paulo, while doing physical pre-season testing with the club in November. It was later determined that he was experiencing vasovagal syncope - a common cause of fainting after a sudden drop in blood pressure or heart rate.‌Oscar was reportedly unconscious for two minutes and has since had surgery to fix the problem. But due to the severity of the issue, he has been forced to retire early and has decided to cancel his Sao Paulo contract - which was due to run until the end of 2027.‌READ MORE: FA Cup ball numbers confirmed for semi-final draw as Chelsea and Man City to learn fateREAD MORE: Liam Rosenior responds to Enzo Fernandez's agent and confirms fresh Chelsea talksThe former midfielder took to Sao Paulo's Instagram to announce the decision in an emotional video message to fans of his boyhood club. He said: "I wanted to do more for Sao Paulo, I wanted to play more."I think I had both the footballing ability and the age to play more, but unfortunately this happened. Now I'm going to retire and continue supporting Sao Paulo, continuing my life as a fan."I'm ending my career here at Sao Paulo, a career that has taken me to many places, practically all over the world. I'd lik...