Damage control: reinstated Arboleda posts apology video | OneFootball

Reinstated to the São Paulo squad this Tuesday (23), center-back Arboleda posted a video on his social media tonight in which he apologizes to the fans and admits he was wrong.

“Tricolor fans, this message is for you, for my teammates, the board, and everyone at São Paulo. I know I was wrong, and I’m here to take responsibility, apologize, and seek a new opportunity. I went through difficult moments and didn’t act well, but this is a story that has already lasted nine years, and I don’t want it to end like this,” he said.

“For a few months now, I’ve been going through a difficult personal time. I have nothing against the board, my teammates, or the fans. I was practically going through a period of depression. No one knows that because I never told anyone, and I think that was also my mistake. I shut myself away alone in my room, I didn’t even tell my family. I’m here to explain why I made the decision to disappear for almost a month. It all happened very fast. I finished training here, I was called up for the game against Cruzeiro, but when I got home I felt so alone that I made the decision to leave. I wanted to disappear, I didn’t want to play football anymore. I just wanted to get back to my hometown,” he added.

Watch the full video below.

THE CASE

Arboleda is back at São Paulo.

After being sidelined and training separately from the squad since May, following nearly a month missing after abandoning the club, the 34-year-old Ecuadorian center-back was reinstated to the squad this Tuesday (23).

He will be authorized to resume training with the group in the coming days and will once again be an option for coach Dorival Júnior for the rest of the season.

The decision was made this morning. According to what AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR found out, Arboleda met with the squad and CT staff, apologized for the act of indiscipline, and was met with applause. Yes, the center-back was applauded and celebrated by his teammates, even after letting them down.

That was the cue Rafinha, who is temporarily acting as the head of São Paulo football, needed to seal the player’s forgiveness and convince president Harry Massis to grant it—something rejected by the dismissed Rui Costa and supported by Dorival, who was desperate because of the lack of options in the team’s defensive sector.

Quite a turnaround for someone who was on the verge of having his contract terminated for just cause.

Arboleda had been carrying out activities at alternate hours and apart from the squad since early May, after a period of nearly a month of unjustified absence. The suspension came after the player failed to report for the match against Cruzeiro on April 4 and traveled to Ecuador without the board’s approval.

Change in stance and shortage in the position

São Paulo’s top brass initially ruled out the player’s return. During Dorival Júnior’s introductory press conference, then football executive Rui Costa publicly stated that the defender would not be reinstated. However, the executive’s dismissal, made official last weekend, changed the behind-the-scenes landscape and made the center-back’s return possible.

Since taking charge of the team, Dorival Júnior had not opposed the Ecuadorian’s reinstatement. Faced with absences and fitness issues in the defensive sector, the coach had already internally considered the possibility of using the player.

Loss of space and market inquiries

Before the act of indiscipline, Arboleda had lost his place in the starting team under former coach Roger Machado. The center-back’s last appearance among the starting eleven came on March 1, against Palmeiras, in the Paulista Championship. His last official match was on March 21, also against the green-and-white rival, in the Brazilian Championship, when he came on during the match.

During the period in which he was sidelined, the defender attracted interest from other teams in the national scene. São Paulo even received an official loan offer from Vitória, but rejected the financial terms on offer. Rival Santos also showed interest and made inquiries about the player, but the talks did not progress into a definitive negotiation.

Clubs such as Athletico-PR, Atlético-MG, Vasco, and LDU showed interest, but only if the player were actually released by São Paulo. With that information in hand, the Morumbi club blocked the departure, the natural course amid the act of indiscipline.

It is important to stress that Arboleda’s return does not mean the end of the search for players in that position. The club understands it still needs at least one more option for the sector, weakened by the sudden departure of Dória, who requested the termination of his contract after receiving threats from fans on social media.

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