Shaken by tragedy, Nicolas to be sidelined by São Paulo to recover | OneFootball

São Paulo has decided not to set a date for the return of 19-year-old left-back Nicolas to activities at the Barra Funda training center.

The player will face trial while free in the case over the hit-and-run that resulted in the death of an 84-year-old man in Barueri, in the Greater São Paulo area, and was released by the board from his professional duties to handle his legal defense and emotional recovery.

According to what AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR learned on Tuesday night (4), given the psychological impact caused by the accident, the club’s leadership chose to sideline the player indefinitely.

The full-back’s return to the professional squad will depend on the progress of his emotional condition and strict compliance with the obligations imposed by the courts.

Sources from São Paulo’s top management told the report that he will receive ongoing psychological support.

Conditions for Provisional Release

As established by the court decision, Nicolas must comply with a series of precautionary measures to stand trial while free:

Court appearance: Mandatory monthly appearance to report and justify his activities.

Keeping information updated: Requirement to keep his residential address permanently updated.

Travel restriction: Prohibited from leaving his home judicial district for more than eight days without prior court authorization.

Monitoring and Support from the Board

After being granted provisional release, Nicolas was contacted by representatives from São Paulo’s football department.

President Harry Massis, sporting manager Rafinha, and members of the coaching staff spoke with the young player to offer support.

The club will continue to monitor the left-back’s situation daily. Decisions regarding the player’s sporting future will be made progressively by the board, taking into account developments in the legal proceedings and the player’s psychological condition.

The player, whose contract with the Morumbi side runs until 2029, was included in the squad list for the recent Brazilian Championship match against Flamengo, although he did not take the field.

Developed in Tricolor’s youth academy since the age of 10 — after initially playing for the futsal teams — Nicolas developed versatile tactical ability, also playing as a defensive midfielder and playmaker.

The player was promoted to the first team in November 2025 under coach Hernán Crespo, driven by standout numbers with the under-20 side:

Under-20 Performance (2025): 40 matches played, 10 goals scored, and 11 assists provided.

First-Team Record: 7 appearances for the senior team, two of them as a starter.

Dual Citizenship and International Monitoring

Holding Swiss citizenship, the young full-back had been monitored by the Swiss Football Federation. During the World Cup period in North America, Nicolas was invited by the federation to attend the European national team’s tournament debut in person, appearing among the names being considered for future call-ups to the country’s youth and senior teams.

The Case

Nicolas had dinner at a shopping mall in the area accompanied by full-back Igor Felisberto and forward Ryan Francisco, who are also players for the São Paulo club. The group left the establishment in separate vehicles.

After learning of the accident, Felisberto and Francisco returned to the scene, where they remained until emergency responders arrived before going to the police station to give statements.

Police report and conflicting statements

In the police report filed in the case, there is suspicion that the players were street racing on a public road. The theory is based on the account of a witness, who said they saw the cars traveling at high speed in the moments before the impact.

In their official statements to the police authority, all three players categorically denied taking part in an illegal race.

The 19-year-old Tricolor full-back told police that none of them had consumed alcohol and also said that an app on his cellphone showed his vehicle was traveling at 50 km/h.

Also according to the police report, Paulo Rodrigues, 84, was crossing Alameda Rio Negro, in front of Shopping Iguatemi Alphaville, at around 9:53 p.m. (Brasília time) when he was struck by a BMW 220i, the vehicle driven by player Nicolas.

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