Believe it or not, Roger may bring Arboleda back after derby loss | OneFootball

It sounds like a bad joke, but coach Roger Machado admitted this Sunday (10) that he could give center back Arboleda another chance in São Paulo’s squad.

During the press conference after the 3-2 defeat to rivals Corinthians in Itaquera in the Brazilian Championship, Roger was asked about the Ecuadorian. And he left the door open for him to be reintegrated into the squad.

“Arboleda is still at the board level. He is a club player, he expressed the wishes we all know about, he was away for a long time and is currently in a reconditioning period. But the time has not yet come to deal with the technical side. When that happens, as a club player, maybe he can help us in the future. But today that is not my decision,” he said.

THE CASE

Arboleda is back at São Paulo. After nearly a month away, the 34-year-old center back reported back on Monday afternoon (4) at the Barra Funda training center and, as AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR had already revealed, it was decided that he will be fined and will continue training separately until the next transfer window, when he is expected to be transferred.

Sources from São Paulo’s top brass told the report some of the reasons why the plan to terminate the Ecuadorian’s contract, which runs until the end of 2027, was abandoned.

“We are prioritizing financial protection and disciplinary control over an immediate breakup,” said one of the people consulted.

After reporting back to the Barra Funda training center accompanied by his representatives, the Ecuadorian was formally reprimanded by the football department leadership, made up of Rui Costa and Rafinha, who made clear their dissatisfaction with his unjustified absence.

As an administrative punishment, the player took a severe cut in his pay, equivalent to one month’s salary, and remains subject to further fines under the club’s internal regulations.

But the refusal to terminate the contract is based on a technical risk assessment. Legally, just cause was weakened by the player’s return before the 30-day period that characterizes job abandonment, which could drag the club into an uncertain and costly legal dispute.

Without completing 30 straight days of disappearance, Arboleda has arguments—especially at FIFA—not only to secure a legal win over São Paulo, but also to pocket compensation. “People look only at Brazilian labor laws, but forget that this is an international case,” said a club source consulted.

On the other hand, a mutual termination was ruled out because it was seen as a strategic contradiction: besides generating no financial compensation, it would allow the defender to strengthen direct rivals at no cost, turning an act of indiscipline into a direct benefit for the offender.

“He never hid that his goal was to leave São Paulo. Obviously there is no atmosphere for him to stay. But authorizing his departure as if nothing had happened, besides granting his wish, would create a dangerous precedent for other players who might want to do the same. There is still one year left on his contract. And São Paulo cannot afford that,” the source said.

AMT had previously revealed that the Morumbi club was well aware that there were interested parties waiting only for the contract termination in order to sign him.

Given this scenario, São Paulo adopted a form of productive isolation for the player. Arboleda will undergo a full battery of clinical exams and performance tests to assess the impact of the period of inactivity, followed by an individualized physical reconditioning schedule.

First and foremost, this is a way to show clubs interested in the center back that he is in full condition to be transferred. “This is a stage of physical and disciplinary recovery, whose ultimate goal is to keep the player in marketable condition so that he can be transferred or included in swap deals as soon as the next transfer window opens,” summarized a source consulted by AMT.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.