São Paulo set to fight over Arboleda exit, want big fee for defender | OneFootball

São Paulo is still awaiting an explanation from Arboleda for the absence that began last Saturday (4), when the center-back failed to report for the match against Cruzeiro. After a formal notice with a 24-hour deadline, the club received no immediate response and began treating the case as a potential job abandonment, although it is remaining cautious before formalizing any definitive split.

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned that the board was taken by surprise by his stance, especially since it had recently arranged payment of overdue signing fees and bonuses.

According to what was reported to the press, president Harry Massis Júnior and members of the legal department have been openly assuring that the club “will not spend a single cent on the player’s departure.” No one is considering the possibility of reintegrating the defender anymore.

Arboleda left Brazil and traveled to Ecuador, where he was seen at a stadium in Guayaquil on Wednesday (8), one day after Tricolor’s debut in the Copa Sudamericana. Images show the defender watching a local second-division match.

Meanwhile, the club sent a new notice setting a ten-day deadline for him to return, a period that comes before the possibility of unilateral termination.

The internal assessment is that this episode differs from previous incidents. In 2026, the center-back had already accumulated four delays, including a late return for preseason and a trip to Ecuador during Carnival, but in all of them there was some kind of communication. This time, besides the initial silence, there was a direct failure to comply with a match call-up, which changed the board’s stance.

On the field, Arboleda had already been losing ground, having appeared in only 11 of the team’s 20 matches this season. In recent days, there was an initial move toward rapprochement. Through his staff, Arboleda reportedly signaled to the club an interest in discussing a termination in a meeting between the parties. However, if the absence is not justified, São Paulo would intend to terminate for cause and trigger the compensation clause.

For the domestic market, the penalty is set at R$ 300 million; in a possible international transfer, the amount could reach €100 million (about R$ 596 million).

The strategy includes trying to hold a future interested club liable, although experts consulted say this depends on proving inducement to breach the contract.

Those experts indicate that the legal outcome depends on the specific clauses of the contract.

The possibility of charging the full penalty in cases of termination for cause is not automatic, and the trend in recent FIFA rulings has been to seek financial compensation based on the remaining term of the contract and any proven damages.

The case recalls previous disputes involving athletes who left clubs without an agreement, but with updated interpretations regarding joint liability.

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