Tolói set for Copa do Brasil return after ten years v Botafogo | OneFootball

Defender was officially presented by Tricolor (Rubens Chiri/SPFC)

RAFAEL EMILIANO@rafaelemilianoo

Long after being announced as São Paulo's new reinforcement, defender Rafael Tolói was finally officially presented by the Morumbi club on Tuesday afternoon (9), at the CT da Barra Funda.

And, as expected given the time of the announcement of his return, which occurred in the middle of last month, the main doubt that hangs over the number 2 shirt is only one: when will he actually be at least related by Tricolor?

Well, given the extensive time for adaptation and physical preparation, the expectation is that the re-debut (at least as an option on the bench) will occur this Sunday (14), in the duel against Botafogo at Morumbi, for the Brazilian Championship. At least that's what the experienced 34-year-old defender hopes.

"I arrive at an important moment of the season, we have two important competitions. I had three weeks to get in better shape and I can add with experience, with what I lived in Italy. Here we play with three defenders and I feel very comfortable, I felt good in Saturday's collective (against the sub-20), I'm happy and I'm here to help", he said.

"The weeks of work were important, with the technology we have today I was able to track my performance compared to the squad. In the period before agreeing with São Paulo I was training, I kept the aerobic part, I feel good and available for the weekend", he added.

About the choice for São Paulo, Tolói is categorical: matters of the heart. Revealed by Goiás, he arrived at the club in 2012 and, in his first stint, played 133 games, scored six goals and was part of the squad that won the Copa Sudamericana that year. In 2014, he was loaned to Roma and, in mid-2015, he transferred to Atalanta.

Now, ten years later, immortalized in the history of the small Italian club (which even took him to the national team of the European country), Tolói felt it was time to choose where he had good memories.

"I spent ten years at Atalanta and they were ten incredible years, but I felt it was time for a change. I had talks with some clubs abroad and also in Brazil. Not talks, there was interest, they approached me. But I didn't start talking to anyone, I waited for the right moment. And from the moment São Paulo approached me, there was a lot of motivation on my part to make it work. I came back here because I had good times here and I intend to live these moments again", he said.

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