Cauly eager for debut, says São Paulo gain from competition | OneFootball

The attacking midfielder Cauly, introduced as the new addition to São Paulo last Wednesday, believes he is in good physical condition and can't wait to debut wearing the Tricolor paulista jersey.

Since the start of negotiations with São Paulo, Cauly has not been included in the squad by coach Rogério Ceni, missing the last two games. However, the midfielder has been training normally and even played in two matches in 2026.

“I feel very well. Of course, as the talks progressed, I was no longer included, trained separately for a few days, but I feel very well physically. I've already done part of the training with the team, trained separately for a few days, but I feel good. The decision will be more up to the coaching staff, but I feel good, I completed the preseason at Bahia, played two games. I hope to be available as soon as possible,” he commented.

Cauly has already been properly registered in the CBF's BID (Daily Information Bulletin) by the end of Wednesday afternoon and is listed among São Paulo players on the FPF (São Paulo Football Federation) website. With the registrations up to date, the midfielder left the decision to debut in the hands of coach Hernán Crespo.

How does the midfielder face competition?

São Paulo has gained another player to strengthen coach Hernán Crespo's midfield. However, the competition is fierce. The sector has several quality players, especially with the arrival of Danielzinho, who quickly established himself as a starter.

Cauly revealed that he faces the competition naturally but emphasized the importance of São Paulo having options for the midfield.

“I have been following the recent games, São Paulo has been showing the quality it has, the players it has, very well integrated. I think São Paulo benefits from this, to have healthy competition, which is part of football. I come to help with my characteristics. I will dedicate myself as much as possible to contribute and bring good things,” he said.

Learning in 2025

Cauly comes from a season with many games but less playing time than previous ones at Bahia. In 2025, the midfielder played in 64 matches, with four goals and six assists. For comparison, he played 2,831 minutes last year, compared to 4,476 in 2024. The data is from the platform Ogol.

The midfielder attributed the reduced playing time to the change in Bahia's tactical system, led by Rogério Ceni, a São Paulo idol.

“The last season, sportingly, was not my best. It was different from previous ones, where I had much higher playing time. But I don't see it as a completely negative season. I think I had good moments, was important in some games, but it's a fact that the playing time decreased. From my point of view, it had a bit to do with the tactical system that changed a bit, there was no longer this position of an attacking midfielder,” he explained.

“As I said, even so, there were positive points, it was a year of learning. In the defensive part, especially, I had some positive numbers. But I think that's it, I'm very happy, with high motivation, and when we feel like this, we feel good, that's when we start to perform at our best,” Cauly concluded.

The player joined Bahia in 2023, after a stint in Bulgarian football at Ludogorets. Since then, he has made 174 appearances, with 23 goals and 24 assists. Now, he embarks on a new challenge at São Paulo, where he will wear the number 80 jersey.

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