Nehuén Pérez’s year of resilience, from Achilles rupture to Rio Ave opener | OneFootball

Nehuén Pérez headed the opener in Porto’s win at Rio Ave in Vila do Conde, almost a year after his previous goal. O Jogo highlights a 12-month stretch that took the Argentine to his physical and psychological limits.

On 24 August he had scored in the 4-0 against Casa Pia at the Dragão. On 13 September, moments after coming on against Nacional, he ruptured his Achilles tendon, starting the biggest challenge of his career.

In the 2025/26 trip back to Vila do Conde, team-mates dedicated one of the goals to him in the wake of the injury. Support ranged from André Villas-Boas visiting him in hospital on the day of surgery to daily work at the CTFD Jorge Costa.

At the training base, the defender, who turned 26 in April, forged a close bond with physiologist Jorge Ribeiro. At Arcos he embraced kitman Jardel, then Ribeiro, with head coach Francesco Farioli also beaming.

Farioli had long praised his professionalism, even before Pérez made himself available for the B team on Sunday. That plan was shelved because of Martim Fernandes’s injury and Alberto Costa’s condition.

With Bednarek and Kiwior entrenched at centre-back, and Pablo Rosario covering when Jan was hurt in the Supertaça, Pérez did not waver. He earned the manager’s trust on the right, and, as Farioli put it, karma rewarded him.

Source: O Jogo

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