Arão silences doubters after injury, ends the year on a high at Santos | OneFootball

One of Santos’ signings for the season, Willian Arão ended 2025 on a high note. The midfielder took some time to find his rhythm, but managed to overcome doubts and become an important piece in Juan Pablo Vojvoda’s tactical scheme.

The 33-year-old player was announced on July 1, after ending his contract with Panathinaikos, from Greece. His first match for the Alvinegro team was 15 days later. He came on in the final minutes of the 1-0 victory over Flamengo, in the 14th round of the Brazilian Championship.

Soon after, Arão was diagnosed with a right calf injury and had to stay off the pitch for almost three months, returning only at the end of September.

The injury was initially treated as an edema, which would have kept him out for just a few days. However, the problem turned out to be more serious than expected, which led to criticism from some fans regarding how the case was handled. His future at the club was even questioned at one point.

The midfielder, however, was reborn after recovering from injury and went from being a ‘problem’ to a solution. The player returned to action on October 15, coming on in the final minutes of the derby against Corinthians. From then on, he never left the team.

In total, he has played 13 matches for Santos, starting in nine of them. Behind the scenes, Arão also earned an important leadership role. He even wore the captain’s armband in some matches.

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