Alexandre Gama speaking from his home in Brazil following his recovery.

Speaking from his home in Brazil, Alexandre Gama looks remarkably revitalised. For a man who, just weeks ago, was caught in the terrifying grip of an undiagnosed lung infection in a Bangkok hospital bed, the colour has returned to his cheeks. The veteran manager’s abrupt departure from Port FC earlier this season sent shockwaves through the Thai football community, shrouded in speculation. Now, for the first time, Gama is ready to set the record straight on a harrowing ordeal that saw him lose 16 kilogrammes and ultimately cost him his position at the PAT Stadium.

"I had really bad times," Gama admits, the gravity of the situation clear in his voice. "It started with a very dry cough that wouldn't stop. I worked for two and a half weeks with this problem, but I felt different. When I went to the hospital, they told me I had water in my lungs. It was a very difficult situation."

What followed was a terrifying 22-day stint in a Thai hospital. The language barrier exacerbated an already critical situation, leaving the Brazilian tactician in the dark about the exact nature of the bacteria or virus attacking his system.

"I lost total confidence. I wanted to stay near my family. I wanted to listen in my own language to what really happened, because I asked, but nobody could say 100%," he recalls. The decision to return to Brazil was a matter of survival, a mental and physical necessity. However, football is a ruthless business, and Port FC required a manager on the touchline.

"I asked Port to go back to Brazil, and Port said, 'Okay, you go back, but we need to cancel the contract, simple like this.' I accepted it. I just wanted to concentrate on my health."

Gama alongside his coaching staff during his eight-month tenure in Khlong Toei.

Within days of landing in South America, clarity arrived. Brazilian doctors diagnosed pneumonia, noting that crucial time had been lost early on. Removed from the high-stress cauldron of the Thai League and placed on a new treatment regimen, his physiology bounced back with astonishing speed. In little over a week, he regained seven of the lost 16 kilos. Today, he is fully recovered, given the unequivocal all-clear by his medical team to return to the dugout.

Yet, as he watches Port FC from afar, Gama does not harbour bitterness. Instead, the analytical mind that has brought him so much success across Asia is focused on the tactical foundations he laid during his eight-month tenure in Khlong Toei. Port finished the season strongly, a late surge that Gama attributes to his successor’s intelligence in maintaining the established philosophy.

"He did a good job because he didn't change too much," Gama observes diplomatically. "The team had one philosophy, one style of play, and he kept this. He tried to change some players in the first three games and had some problems, drawing games. After that, he went back to the same team. I used Kaka on the left side, Lucas on the right side, and put Matius Lins at left-back, and he organised it again."

Kaka (left) was identified by Gama as a crucial component of his tactical setup.

It is a testament to Gama's recruitment and systemic planning. He points to the overarching strategy discussed when he first took the job: finishing in the top three for AFC Champions League qualification and securing silverware. He takes particular pride in the players brought in under his watch who adapted to his intense demands.

Gama notes that Lucas proved to be an important acquisition during his time at Port.

"Lucas is an important player. We tried bringing in new players to do something different. I brought in the defender, number 36 [Peerawat Akkratum]—nobody believed in him, and now he won the best defender in the Thai League."

Peerawat Akkratum repaid his manager's faith by establishing himself as one of the league's standout defenders.

Despite the premature end to his contract, his passion for the Thai game remains undiminished. He is, however, acutely aware of the structural challenges facing Thai clubs on the continent. Discussing Port's upcoming AFC Champions League Elite campaign, Gama is openly frustrated by the logistical requirement moving their home fixtures away from the infamous, claustrophobic PAT Stadium to Thammasat Stadium to meet hospitality and capacity regulations.

"I prefer to play at the PAT. Thammasat is too far for the fans. No pressure is good for the opponent, but no good for us. We like this pressure from the fans," he notes, highlighting the intangible loss of the Khlong Toei cauldron.

Currently enjoying his first proper holiday in 20 years, Gama is waiting for the right project. While he acknowledges that the Brazilian market is finally taking notice of his Asian success, his heart seemingly remains in Southeast Asia.

"If I need to choose, I prefer to go back to Thailand because I know everything. I know the players, the league, the country. But I am a professional... I am waiting for the chance, because I am recovered. I want to work."

As the interview draws to a close, Gama offers a final, unprompted message to the country that has become his second home. "I want to say thank you to all the Thai people, the football fans who sent many messages to me. I am ready. I am okay. Don't worry. That is the most important thing now."

Alexandre Gama survived a nightmare that transcended football. Now, fully restored and tactically hungry, one of the most successful managers in Thai football history is simply waiting for the phone to ring.