Former Toppserien player Luana Bertolucci Paixao has been diagnosed with cancer

Former Avaldsnes player Luana Bertolucci Paixão is affected by a form of lymphoma. The Brazilian player has to take a break from football.

The former Toppserien profile talks about his own health situation in a post on Instagram.

“As a professional footballer, I have faced many challenges both on and off the football pitch. I have always fought with great courage and determination, and that will be the case now too,” she writes.

Luana further writes that she has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It is a form of cancer that affects the lymphatic system.

“I will undergo chemotherapy and I trust that I will have your support and prayers,” writes the Brazilian soccer star.

She also points out that she has good support from family and friends. At the same time, the 30-year-old asks that her privacy be respected.

In the comments section under the Instagram post, Luana receives broad support from, among others, the Norwegian national team captain Maren Mjelde. The two were teammates in Avaldsnes.

“Thinking of you”, writes Mjelde, among other things, and attaches a heart.

Luana signed for Tom Nordlie’s Avaldsnes team in January 2015. She set the tone when the Rogaland club won cup gold and league silver two years later.

She also played for Avaldsnes in the 2018 season.

Luana is on the books with a long series of international matches for her home country. She was in the squad for last year’s world championships in Australia and New Zealand.

Now she plays club soccer for the American Orlando Pride.