Fans slam Wendell’s season at São Paulo as “awful” | OneFootball

The 2025 season marked a frustrating chapter in Wendell's time at São Paulo. Signed with the status of a major reinforcement after years of establishing himself in European football, with stints at Bayer Leverkusen and Porto, the left-back arrived at Morumbi surrounded by expectations.

The management's bet was clear: to bring in an experienced player with international exposure and a history of call-ups to the Brazilian National Team, capable of solving one of the most problematic positions in the squad in recent years. In practice, however, the performance was far from what was imagined.

On the field, Wendell struggled to establish himself as an absolute starter. Even before the injury that prematurely ended his season, the full-back never managed to string together a solid sequence of performances. Alternating between occasional good moments and discreet games, he saw Enzo Díaz gain space due to greater consistency and defensive commitment.

In a poll conducted by Gazeta Esportiva, São Paulo fans voted Wendell's season as "terrible," with 64% of the votes. Right behind was the "bad" option, with 24%. "Great" received 8%, and finally, the "regular" option accounted for 4% of the votes.

Wendell's Numbers

In 25 matches played, Wendell contributed with only two assists and had limited offensive participation, precisely in an aspect that has always been considered one of his main strengths.

The end of the season ended up symbolizing the player's year. In October, a partial rupture of the plantar fascia, suffered in the match against Grêmio, sidelined him for the rest of the Brasileirão and postponed his return to 2026.

Thus, Wendell ended 2025 as one of the clearest examples of the disconnect between expectation and reality at São Paulo, closing the year without goals, with modest numbers, and the feeling that the investment made did not translate into sporting impact in a Tricolor already marked by frustrations on and off the field.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.