Daniel Osvaldo's serious health contrasts with his glory at Espanyol
While Daniel Osvaldo was celebrating a goal in the Espanyol shirt, where he played between 2010 and 2011, the 40‑year‑old former striker lies today in the intensive care unit of the public hospital of Llavallol, in the province of Buenos Aires, after suffering a severe right pleural effusion.
Details of the medical condition
On Thursday night, Osvaldo was admitted urgently to the intensive care unit, according to Clarín and Olé. His sister found him at his home after several days of discomfort and, with the help of a friend, took him to the medical centre. There he underwent emergency surgery and doctors removed two centimetres from each lung, reported journalist Pepe Ochoa. The celebration clip that circulated includes an AI‑generated audio, according to the source. The prognosis remains undisclosed.
The diagnosis confirmed a right pleural effusion, a buildup of fluid between the membranes that line the lung. In Osvaldo’s case, the fluid contained pus, indicating an infectious process. So far no official statement about his condition has been issued. The seriousness of the case is reflected in the need for a resection of lung tissue.
Background and attributed causes
The cited media attribute the condition to physical deterioration caused by drug use, according to consulted doctors. Osvaldo had admitted in a video released in 2024 his problems with alcohol and drugs, and described a deep depression that led him to those addictions. In that same video, the former striker confessed that he was undergoing psychiatric treatment with medication, lived locked up in his house and had spent almost all his savings. He asked forgiveness from his family, friends and children, and urged those going through similar situations to seek support.
Professional career and past statements
Osvaldo arrived at Espanyol in early 2010, on loan from Bologna, and the club signed him permanently that same summer. In a year and a half he scored about twenty goals in the league, which earned him a transfer to Roma in August 2011 for €17.5 million. He later wore the shirts of Juventus, Inter, Southampton, Porto, Huracán and Boca Juniors, and became an international for Italy. He hung up his boots for the first time at age 30, saying he preferred barbecue and beer to the pressure of professional football; after trying his hand at rock music he briefly returned to the pitch and retired definitively in 2020.
In recent years he has worked as a television commentator and has reappeared in the media as an analyst. Two years ago he posted a video in which he spoke openly about his battle with addiction and depression, and continued encouraging others to seek help.
Although an official medical bulletin has not yet been released, the available information indicates that his condition remains serious and the prognosis stays undisclosed. The lack of an official statement leaves uncertainty about his evolution, highlighting the fragility that even the most prominent former players can experience.