Toloi eager for São Paulo return debut | OneFootball

Rafael Toloi is close to making his re-debut for São Paulo this Sunday at 5:30 PM (Brasília time) against Botafogo at Morumbi, for the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship. The defender is already training with the squad and took advantage of the FIFA break to bond with his teammates and assimilate Hernán Crespo's game plan.

The defender, who signed a contract until December 2026, with the possibility of extension until 2027, stated he is happy to return to the Tricolor: “It is every athlete's dream to play for a club as great as São Paulo. I am having the opportunity for my second stint and was very happy when I received the call with the intention to sign me. I didn't think twice. In the first stint, I experienced the thrill of being a champion with the unprecedented South American title, which marked my career,” he highlighted.

Registered with the CBF's BID, Toloi's re-debut is conditioned only on his physical condition. The defender's last official game was on May 4, for Atalanta, but he maintained his physical shape in recent months, keeping up with training data and reinforcing the aerobic part, ensuring immediate availability for Crespo.

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Career and Stats

Discovered by Goiás, Toloi joined São Paulo in 2012, where he played 133 matches, scored six goals, and won the 2012 Copa Sudamericana. In 2014, he was loaned to Roma and, in 2015, transferred to Atalanta, where he played 313 matches, scored 14 goals, and provided 18 assists, in addition to winning the 2024 Europa League. Naturalized Italian, he played for the Italian national team in 14 matches, winning the 2021 Euro Cup.

Defensive Reinforcement

Toloi arrives at a time when São Paulo is facing defensive issues due to Arboleda's injury. Besides him, the sector includes Alan Franco, Ferraresi, and Sabino. Currently, the Tricolor is in seventh place on the table, with 32 points in 22 games, still fighting for a spot in the G6.

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