Neymar, 33, returned to Santos in search of joy that seemed lost between injuries and frustrated expectations. Vitor Roque, still young, 19, struggles to recover in Palmeiras the confidence shaken after a difficult start in Europe. Memphis Depay, 31, former star in the Netherlands and Spain, reunites with Corinthians the chance to prove his high level. Oscar, 33, after years away from the spotlight, sees in Sao Paulo the opportunity to end his career with protagonism.
Now these four players carry their redemption stories to the Paulista Championship semifinals, turning the state dispute into a reconstruction stage.
The context could not be better for athletes: for the first time in six years, the four major clubs in the state face each other in the penultimate stage of the competition. Corinthians, Santos, Palmeiras and Sao Paulo continue in the title dispute, after eliminating, respectively, Mirassol, Red Bull Bragantino, São Bernardo and Novorizontino.
The last time this occurred in 2019, Corinthians beat Sao Paulo in the decision of the tournament, which had some of their stars Vagner Love, Antony, Rodrygo and Gustavo Scarpa.
This Sunday (9), the classic alvinegro opens the semifinals from 2025 at 18:30 (Brasília time), at the Arena Neo Chemistry. On Monday (10), the king shock, at 9:30 pm, at Allianz Parque, will define the second finalist. The duels will be broadcast by Record, Cazétv, Max, Our Football, UOL Play and Zapping.
While Memphis, Vitor Roque and Oscar seek an unprecedented cup for their galleries, Neymar fights for his fourth tournament trophy, in which he was champion for the first time in his career in 2010.
What may seem little to those who have been at the top of world football, accumulating titles by Santos himself, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, has become an opportunity for shirt 10 to show that the recent call for the Brazilian team is deserved.
He has not put on his yellow shirt for over 500 days since October 2023, when he suffered the most severe injury to his career in his left knee.
The physical problem abbreviated his passage through Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, where he played little. Discarded by coach Jorge Jesus, he surprised to sign with Santos earlier this year, returning to the club that revealed him, hoping to have a sequence in the field again
If Neymar tries to rescue a past of glory, Vitor Roque still struggles to prove that his future can be brilliant. Sold to Barcelona as one of the greatest jewels of Brazilian football, the striker came across a different scenario than he imagined. With few opportunities, difficulties in adaptation and performances that they did not convince, their rise was braked.
Revealed by Cruzeiro, the athlete was loaned to Betis after making only 16 games for the Catalan team. In the new club, he managed to complete almost double matches (30), but again did not set.
When Palmeiras made a proposal, Barcelona quickly realized it was the best way to recover their investment – in 2023, the club paid 40 million euros ($ 213 million in the quotation of the time). Already the team of São Paulo disbursed 25 million euros (R $ 156 million) by the player, making him the hiring most expensive in the history of Brazilian football.
If the word “redemption” still sounds early for him, the talent that has already shown, especially for Athletico, has generated high expectations about his future, which he seeks to meet.
Oscillations are part of the career of any experienced player. Memphis Depay lived ups and downs, always with the star label. He shone in the Netherlands, delighted at Lyon and had important tickets for Manchester United, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. But the last few years have not been generous: between injuries, loss of space, and a sequence of clubs where he could not firm himself, the Dutch striker saw his space in Europe shrink.
Without major proposals, he accepted the Corinthians invitation to a fresh start in Brazil. Its technical quality is undeniable, but it needs to prove it can be decisive in large games. Paulista’s semifinals are the perfect scenario for this test.
Oscar, in turn, has been a fundamental piece of the Brazilian team and highlight in Chelsea. However, the decision to change Europe for China has removed him from the great spotlight. For years, he was one of the highest paid players in the world, but far from high -level competitiveness, he saw his name out of calls and lose relevance on the international scene.
Now, at the age of 33, he faces his spell in Sao Paulo as an opportunity to end his career in style, being remembered for what he did on the pitch.
For Neymar, Vitor Roque, Depay and Oscar, decisive games represent more than the search for a title: they are a chance to prove that there are still important chapters to be written in their careers.
