Calleri returns for São Paulo after nine months, jokes about heavy legs

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Gazeta Esportiva.com

·16 Januari 2026

Calleri returns for São Paulo after nine months, jokes about heavy legs

The victory of São Paulo by 1-0 over São Bernardo last Thursday, in the second round of the Campeonato Paulista, was special for Jonathan Calleri. After nine months recovering from surgery on his left knee, the Argentine forward returned to the field and was able to wear the tricolor jersey again.

Calleri started the match on the bench, but many fans were eager to see the number 9 play. Around the middle of the second half, coach Hernán Crespo called on the striker. He stepped onto the field to the sound of the chant "Pass to Calleri, it's a goal," receiving much applause. In the mixed zone, he celebrated his return and joked about the situation.

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"There were many months of silent work, trying to get the knee back to normal. It was a difficult time. Obviously, I tried to help from the outside, but it's very different from the role I have on the field. But I'm very happy to be on the field once again, with a victory for São Paulo. I remember everything I went through in these nine months and I'm very pleased with everything I did to play today. Obviously, it's not easy to return to playing after nine months, my legs felt twice as heavy [laughs]. But I have a lot of faith and a strong desire to work to get things back to normal. I need time, it's normal, but we are working to get back to 100%," highlighted the player.

Calleri had been away from the field since April of last year, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and had to undergo surgery. The Argentine recalled the difficult recovery but quickly shifted focus to appreciate the positive result from Thursday.

"There were difficult moments. What I do best is being on the field, and for nine months, I lost that happiness. Of course, I need São Paulo a lot, and São Paulo needs the leaders of the squad nowadays. Today, we showed that São Paulo is alive, and we will give our all in the classic against Corinthians," declared the athlete.

Optimistic Projection

Calleri made it clear that he still doesn't feel in full physical shape, but he understands that he can return to being the same striker once he gets more playing time. It is worth remembering that São Paulo is competing in four tournaments this year and needs players to rotate the squad.

Despite the political instability and all the difficulties — extensive calendar and possible injuries — the number 9 adopted an optimistic tone and projected a positive season for São Paulo.

"Soon, I think we will see the best São Paulo. No more injuries, leaving behind everything that happened last year, trying to have many healthy players so that we can fight in all competitions. It's difficult because there are many games, but I think this year, as we are, getting everyone in sync, with reinforcements, we will have a great year. I am very optimistic once again that we can have a great campaign and try to give another title to São Paulo," said Calleri.

Last season, Calleri played 18 games, scored three goals, and provided four assists. Now, he hopes for a better 2026 without injuries for the Tricolor paulista.