Rigoni: Love for São Paulo, return inspired by James, Calleri, Crespo | OneFootball

@avantmtricolor

The third and final reinforcement for São Paulo for the remainder of this second semester, Rigoni was presented on Thursday afternoon (11) at the Barra Funda training center, where he fully committed to the Tricolor and spoke about some names that helped in his return to the São Paulo club.

The forward, now 32 years old, did not hide his happiness in returning to São Paulo, where he truly feels at home like nowhere else, according to himself.

"The way the fans and the people at the club treated me with affection. I felt very valued. I didn't have this at all clubs. This created a very close relationship with São Paulo, and I always thought about coming back and being happy here. My best moment in my career, my happiest, was here. It was hard to find that happiness elsewhere, so it was a joy to return. I am grateful to the management and the group that welcomed me well and is incredible," Rigoni began in his interview.

"I am very happy, the happiness is mutual. I formed a bond with many fans, and I feel the same way. That's why I'm happy. Regarding the possibility of performing well, it comes down to motivation, drive, and the desire to be at a club like São Paulo. I was at other clubs where my statistics weren't what I expected; it comes down to feeling comfortable and being motivated," he continued.

"The pressure is indifferent, I feel that São Paulo is my home. I don't see it as a burden, I see it as a responsibility. It's a moment when we need to excel, deliver immediate results, and I'm prepared. I feel good, trained this week, and feel physically very well," said the São Paulo player.

JAMES, CALLERI, AND CRESPO

Rigoni was playing for León in Mexico, where midfielder James Rodríguez also played, who didn't leave much nostalgia among the Tricolor fans but spoke well about his former club.

"We always spoke well of São Paulo, he always spoke very well of the club, we had a good relationship, we talked about how beautiful it is to be here. And I was lucky enough to be able to return, and I am very happy," said the reinforcement about his relationship with the Colombian star.

A close friend, compatriot, and also forward Calleri was also an important and essential figure in the negotiations for Rigoni's return to São Paulo.

"With Jonny, it's more than a friendship; we have a very intimate and close relationship. During the years I was away, we always talked, I always knew how the club was doing. In recent days, with the possibility of returning, he was very happy, we talked a lot. He was very important to me in my first stint, and I have a lot of affection for him. Meeting him again is very important to me," he said.

And another Argentine, coach Hernán Crespo, of course, who managed Rigoni in his first stint with the Tricolor between 2021 and 2022, also played an important role in the forward's decision to return to the Morumbi club.

"We always think about the possibility of returning, hoping because of the relationship I have with Crespo, but I never lost focus on where I was, I knew about the possibility, but it depended on the club needing me, wanting me, many things. Even when he (Crespo) wasn't there, I wanted to return. It increased the hope a bit, yes, when he came," confirmed Rigoni, who added.

"The relationship I have with him is very good, close, we have the confidence to talk. When the possibility arose, he was also part of why I'm here. I'm happy and pleased, I hope to perform and always be 100% for the club and for those who trusted me. The relationship we had is good and will help the club," concluded the new São Paulo player.

The forward has been training with his teammates in recent days and should be available to Hernán Crespo for the next Tricolor match against Botafogo this Sunday (14) at 5:30 PM (Brasília time) for the Brasileirão.

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