Jonathan Calleri poured his heart out after São Paulo’s 3-2 loss to Corinthians this Sunday. The striker admitted it was his worst game at Neo Química Arena and pointed out where the Tricolor fell short.
In a mixed-zone interview, Calleri stated that the team failed to execute what had been planned during the week. “Everything we planned throughout the week simply wasn’t carried out. A lot of that comes down to Corinthians scoring early—within 10 or 15 minutes—from a corner kick, a situation we had worked on and couldn’t allow. Today was really a terrible game, well below the level we showed against Bahia. We’re going home very upset,” he said.
Calleri also criticized the refereeing. The derby was marked by several controversial decisions from Anderson Daronco. After a mistake by Raniele and a defensive lapse from Hugo, Bobadilla set up Luciano well, who finished into the back of the net. But the celebration by São Paulo’s number 10 sparked anger and heightened tensions.
In front of the Corinthians organized fan section, Luciano imitated Luis Fabiano’s traditional celebration using the corner flag from the home side. Corinthians fans reacted, protesting and throwing a vape pen as well as a lighter, which hit Calleri on the head.
Corinthians players were also upset by Luciano’s actions and went after the São Paulo players. The widespread scuffle resulted in yellow cards for Matheus Bidu, Gabriel Paulista, Calleri, and Sabino. According to the Argentine, Daronco “was not good with me.”
“The referee was very poor with me, a referee I respect and have faced many times. He didn’t treat me properly. That’s football,” Calleri added.
The first “Majestoso” of the 2026 Brasileirão ended with Corinthians beating São Paulo 3-2. The derby, held on a cold Sunday night on Mother’s Day, heated up on the pitch with refereeing controversies, arguments between players, and ended with a crucial result for Fernando Diniz’s side, which could escape the relegation zone if Vasco loses their match. Raniele, Matheuzinho, and Breno Bidon scored for Timão. Luciano and an own goal from Matheuzinho accounted for Tricolor’s goals.
