Brazilian forward Pedro Lucas played his last match in an Olimpija jersey on November 3, 2024, at Z’Dežele Stadium, when he suffered an unfortunate ACL injury in his knee. That’s when his long journey back to the pitch began, culminating on Wednesday in the cup match against Domžale. Amidst loud cheers from the stands, Pedro Lucas stepped onto the field again after 325 days and immediately showed what a quality player Olimpija had been missing. He needed just seven minutes to score the decisive goal for cup progression, thus writing his dream comeback story. He shared his thoughts on his return in a short interview for the club.

How does it feel to be back after such a long time, and who supported you the most during rehabilitation?

I am extremely happy to be back. Throughout this entire period, my wife was my biggest support, being with me every day since the surgery in Brazil. After a few months of recovery in my home country, I returned to Ljubljana and began intensive training with fitness coaches Nikola Vidović and especially Ivan Zorić. I am very grateful for their help. Although I’m not yet at 100%, I can already help the team.

How did it feel when you heard the fans chanting your name from the stands?

I know that not many players experience such moments, so I am immensely grateful to the fans for this. My teammates also gave me a great welcome; those were truly beautiful moments.

What do you expect from Sunday’s match against Mura?

We played very well in the first half against Domžale. We still have a few training sessions before the match against Mura. If we further improve our attacking and defensive play, I am confident that we will be successful on Sunday as well.

Pedro Lucas, welcome back!