Named after 4 months, Felisberto edges Maik in Cotia full-back race | OneFootball

São Paulo’s right-back position is going through a period of reorganization under coach Roger Machado, with paths crossing in opposite directions. On one side is Maik, who started the year on the rise but is now facing a loss of space. On the other is Igor Felisberto, still with the under-20s but increasingly present in the day-to-day of the first-team squad.

Maik’s situation has drawn attention not only because of his reduced minutes, but also because of his recent absence even from matchday squads. He has now missed five straight games, including the win over O’Higgins, with no official indication of a physical issue. On the contrary, the full-back has continued to appear normally in training images since at least the end of March.

According to reporting by AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, the coaching staff believes the player has not been reaching the expected level in training and has also not yet managed to adapt to Roger’s tactical demands. The coach’s response after the last match did not go into detail on the subject, but it did make his criteria clear.

“These are my choices for the moment. Each player’s story with me starts being written from the moment I arrive. That is not unchangeable. It can change depending on the moment and each player’s productivity,” he said.

Since Roger’s arrival, Maik has been included in the squad for four of the team’s nine matches and has taken the field only once, in the loss to Atlético-MG, when he played 83 minutes. Since then, he has gradually faded from the picture. His last appearance on a squad list was for the derby against Palmeiras on March 21. It is a stark contrast to the start of the season, when, under Hernán Crespo, he had overtaken Cédric Soares in the battle for the position.

Promoted to the senior squad last season, Maik has 18 appearances and two goals and recently featured in a CIES Football Observatory study as one of the main under-23 prospects in the Brazilian Championship, ranking 11th, with his ground defensive efficiency highlighted. Even so, the current moment points to an uncertain future, reflected in rumors of a possible departure in the middle of the year. As AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned, Swiss football is keeping an eye on the player’s situation.

Meanwhile, Igor Felisberto is beginning to fill the space left open. At 19, the right-back has been a constant presence in first-team activities and is already seeing the first signs of trust.

Included in the squad for tonight’s game against Vasco, he is back among the call-ups for the first time since January and only the sixth time in his professional career.

Although he started in each of the first five rounds of this year’s Brazilian Under-20 Championship, he was not called up for Thursday’s (16th) draw with Avaí in Florianópolis (SC), which suggested Roger could use him.

The internal assessment is that the player “jumped the queue” because of his performances in training. Initially behind Lucas Ramon, Cédric, Maik and Moreira, the youngster has recently moved up the hierarchy and now appears ahead of the last two, although Moreira has also been training in midfield.

The club views Igor as another Cotia gem, with a contract until the end of 2029 and frequent call-ups to Brazil’s under-20 national team, including the most recent set of friendlies against Paraguay during last month’s FIFA window.

In the current scenario, the hierarchy at right-back seems clearly defined at the top: Lucas Ramon as the starter and Cédric as the first alternative. Below them, however, the competition remains open and in motion.

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