Striker's mother Paollo Oliveira: 'I wish I could hold my baby in my arms'

Oliveira, 27, was one of three HAGL members who died in a traffic accident on August 12, a day after the final match of Group B phase II V-League 2023.

Immediately after the match at Vinh Stadium, HAGL members parted ways. Paollo personally decided to go to the mountain town to check the injury. After that, he planned to fly with his fiancée Araujo Chaves to Ho Chi Minh City and then return to Portugal to visit his mother and younger brother. But tragedy struck. The five-seat car carrying him, assistant coach Duong Minh Ninh and doctor Dao Trong Tri crashed on the road in Gia Lai.

Paollo's wife was dumbfounded when she heard the terrible news, while the luggage was ready. In Portugal, Katyuscia Madeira - Paollo's mother fainted, had to go to the emergency room. "Call me son. Tell me everything that's going on is a lie," she wrote on her personal Facebook page.

Katyuscia has been a widow for nearly 20 years, raising two sons alone. Three years ago, she lost her next emotional support, the father, and now has to watch the tragedy of the village befall her eldest son. "I wish I could hold my baby in my arms and wake up from this nightmare," the 50-year-old added.

In 2022, Paollo decided to leave Portugal to go to Vietnam to join Ha Tinh club. Mrs. Katyuscia was worried because Paollo's personality was quite timid, but still encouraged her son to overcome because she herself had left her hometown of Brazil to go to Portugal to live and work. Paollo faced many difficulties in the early stages and received many negative comments from Ha Tinh fans. At that time, Katyuscia always spent a lot of time responding to comments on social networks to protect her son.

At the moment, the youngest son Sergio is with Katyuscia. To Sergio, Oliveira is not only a brother but also a close friend and second father. Sergio sees his brother as an example of the spirit of never giving up. Ever since he was a trainee at the small club Raca Vermelha Imortal in the city of Albufeira, southern Portugal, Oliveira has suffered injuries or not played much, but always overcomes to realize his dream of playing professionally.

"I think you will be happy with your dad and grandpa in heaven," Sergio wrote on his personal Facebook page. "Rest in peace brother. Please kiss my father for me, and don't forget to comfort our mother down here."

At first, Katyuscia intended to go to Vietnam to directly pick up her son's body back to Portugal, but later changed, because it took a long time to get a visa and she was not in good shape. The family decided to authorize HAGL Club to carry out the procedures to bring Oliveira's body back to Portugal. All costs will be covered by HAGL Club.

Oliveira was born in 1996 with dual Brazilian and Portuguese citizenship. He began playing professionally in Portugal for Imortal, then went to SC Farense in the Portuguese First Division, but was repeatedly loaned out. In 2022, Paollo was loaned to Ha Tinh to play 23 matches in the V-League and scored 8 goals. This season, Oliveira moved to HAGL, played 17 games and was the team's best scorer with six goals.