The Argentine forward of São Paulo will face Xeneize in the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana and acknowledged the special significance of the match and his return to La Bombonera
There are matches that transcend the result and leave a special weight before the ball starts rolling. For Jonathan Calleri, the clash between Boca and São Paulo in the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana will have just that flavor: he will return to step on La Bombonera, although this time he will do so wearing the jersey of the Brazilian team and as a rival.
The forward had an important stint at Xeneize between 2014 and 2015, under the management of Rodolfo Arruabarrena, and quickly earned the recognition of the fans. More than a decade later, he will return to the stadium that saw him play in the blue and gold jersey, but with a completely different mission.
In the lead-up to the match, Calleri acknowledged the sentimental value that the visit will have. "Playing at La Bombonera is fulfilling a dream. I was just remembering when you were talking, I am a fan of All Boys and there is a song that says: ‘Playing at La Bombonera is what I imagine’. So, everyone who is Argentine, when they play in youth teams or whatever, wants to play in the Boca or River stadium", he said in an interview with ESPN.
The attacker recalled that desire is already part of his personal history. "Playing at La Bombonera or in the Monumental is a dream for everyone. Especially for smaller teams, which is where I came from. So I have already lived all that, I have played at La Bombonera many times and it is a dream come true", he explained.
The context, however, will be completely different. Calleri knows that the affection for his former club must be set aside during the 90 minutes and made his stance clear ahead of the clash. "Now I am on the other side, but I have a great affection and respect for the club, for all the people there, but today I am a rival and I want the best for São Paulo and I want to win", he stated.
The Argentine also anticipated a close series and considered that São Paulo arrives in better condition than weeks ago. "It’s going to be a very difficult match, they have very good players. We are better than we were 15 days ago and I think it’s going to be a very contested match that will be decided by details", he concluded.
Calleri has just recovered from an injury
The attacker will arrive at the match after overcoming an ankle injury that had sidelined him from recent commitments. Calleri returned to add minutes in the 2-0 victory against Atlético Mineiro and is available for the duel against his former club.
Thus, La Bombonera will have a night filled with memories and reunions. Calleri will return to the stage he dreamed of stepping on as a footballer and where he became a protagonist, but this time he will do so with a clear objective: to help São Paulo gain an advantage in the first chapter of a series that will determine their passage to the semi-finals of the Copa Sudamericana.
Calleri's numbers at Boca
In his year and a half cycle (July 2014 to December 2015) with the Xeneize jersey, the Buenos Aires native played 4,317 minutes, distributed over 61 matches, in which he scored 23 goals, provided 12 assists, and received 7 yellow cards and 1 red card. In terms of titles, he won 2: Primera División 2015 and Copa Argentina 2015.
