Before tragedy, Nicola visited Lucca with Ryan Francisco and Igor | OneFootball

Before running over and killing an 84-year-old man in Barueri, in Greater São Paulo, left-back Nicolas, 18, had gone with teammates Igor Felisberto and Ryan Francisco to visit their friend Lucca Marques at his home in Alphaville.

Lucca has remained resting at home since last Sunday (2), as a result of an accident he suffered the day before. The young striker crashed his car and suffered a fractured jaw, which will be corrected with conservative treatment following the recommendation of a maxillofacial specialist, with no need for surgery.

After showing support for their friend, the trio of youth players from Tricolor headed to the Ráscal restaurant, located in Shopping Iguatemi Alphaville, for dinner.

The information was initially reported by ‘Anotações Tricolores

The Case

Nicolas will remain free while facing trial for involuntary manslaughter (when there is no intent to kill). He was released from his professional commitments by the club’s management to deal with his legal defense and emotional recovery.

As AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR learned on the night of this Tuesday (4), given the psychological impact caused by the accident, the Tricolor leadership decided 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 leadership told the report that he will receive constant psychological support.

Conditions for Provisional Release

As established by the court decision, Nicolas must comply with a series of precautionary measures in order to remain free during the proceedings:

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

Maintaining personal information: Requirement to keep his residential address permanently updated.

Travel restriction: Prohibited from leaving the judicial district of his residence for more than eight days without prior judicial 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 athlete to offer support.

The club will continue to monitor the full-back’s situation daily. Decisions regarding the athlete’s sporting future will be made gradually by the board, weighing the developments of the legal process 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.

Youth Academy Path and Rise to the Professional Team

Developed in Tricolor’s youth system since the age of 10 — with an initial spell in the futsal teams — Nicolas developed versatile tactical ability, also playing as a defensive midfielder and playmaking midfielder.

The athlete’s promotion to the main squad took place in November 2025 under coach Hernán Crespo, driven by standout numbers with the under-20 team:

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

Professional record: 7 matches played for the first 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 organization to watch the European national team’s tournament debut in person, being among the names considered for future call-ups to the country’s youth and senior teams.

Police report and conflicting statements

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

Upon learning of the accident, Felisberto and Francisco returned to the scene, where they remained until rescue services arrived before going to the police station to give statements.

The police report filed in the case includes suspicion that the players were street racing on a public road. The hypothesis 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 police authorities, the 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 indicated his vehicle was traveling at 50 km/h.

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, Nicolas’s vehicle.

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