Six and a half months. That was the time between Paolo Guerrero's last game and his return this Sunday afternoon (6) at Maracanã. It was six and a half months of anxiety, anguish, and much struggle. For the number 9, it was the most delicate moment of his career. However, the more than 60 people present at the stadium gifted the Peruvian with a return he will never forget. To the sound of "the chaos is over, Guerrero has arrived," the striker replaced Henrique Dourado and stepped back onto the pitch that made him happy so many times. From there, he enjoyed the 2-0 victory over Internacional and even provided the assist for Everton Ribeiro, who sealed the positive result.

The 35 minutes played showed that the time may have been long, but Paolo's drive and determination remain the same. Emotional, the red-and-black spoke about the great comeback and defined the sea of ​​sensations in one word: incredible.

"I'm very happy. It's incredibly moving to return to a packed Maracanã stadium, our home stadium, with the nation chanting my name. It was impressive, incredible. I have no words to describe this moment. I deserve all of this after what I've been through these past six months. I want to play, because football is my life. We managed to give the fans the joy they wanted today, winning 2-0 with great football from the first minute. Congratulations to all my teammates and we're on the right track. It was an incredible day for me," said the Peruvian.

There was no lack of focus on the field this Sunday. After the long and grueling trial in Switzerland, Guerrero fought to return to Rio de Janeiro in time to prepare for the match against Internacional. Gathered with his teammates and the team at Ninho do Urubu, the number 9 made a point of being present for the match.

"I had to move my flight up to be here in Rio for Saturday's training. I arrived well, rested, calm, and confident. I know everything will work out because I'm innocent. I'm preparing here; I want to be at my best for Flamengo. I want to be 100%. I managed to play 30, 35 minutes today. It was incredible, and even more so because we got the three points," he said.

Full of expectations, Paolo has one main focus after the trial is over: returning to the field and winning everything he competes for. "First, I'm waiting for the decision, which will be important for me. Then, my expectation is to win with Flamengo in the games I play here, participate in the World Cup, which will be important for my country, and then return and win this Libertadores, which every Flamengo fan expects. I have many goals set for this year and I hope to achieve them all," Guerrero assured.

Coming on in the 12th minute of the second half in place of Henrique Dourado, the center forward made ten successful passes, two shots, and one tackle, in addition to providing a great assist for Everton Ribeiro's stunning goal. "I was very focused on the game, my feet were already itching, and I couldn't wait for Maurício (Barbieri) to call me so I could come on. I wanted to play, score a goal, celebrate. But we celebrated a lot because we managed to score, we won very well, and I'm happy," joked the number 9.

There were many days away from the field and uncertainty about what it would be like to return. Since then, Paolo Guerrero has experienced difficult times, which he hopes will come to an end. "The psychological side affected me a lot, morally it was very difficult. Being sidelined due to an injustice was very sad, the worst moment of my life. I try to always think ahead, always be objective. I think, 'God, you know why you do these things. I'm on your path.' So I leave everything in God's hands and focus on football," he concluded.

Guerrero knows he's not alone. In Rio de Janeiro and anywhere else in the world, the red-and-black fans are rooting for the Peruvian's return as soon as possible. As the more than 60 voices at the Maracanã stadium said this Sunday, the chaos is over and Paolo is back.