Back at São Paulo, what did Maik learn after the ‘Arboleda case’? | OneFootball

Just like Arboleda, right-back Maik, developed in Cotia, was also reinstated to São Paulo’s squad at the start of this week. The young player had been sidelined for indiscipline at the club.

This indiscipline was never explained, leaving room for fans to believe anything. One journalist even reported that the main issue was that the player showed up drunk to team training at Barra Funda. The full-back also posted a photo with his teammate Arboleda while the Ecuadorian was training separately. Shortly after these incidents, Maik was removed from the squad without further explanation.

His closest friend at Tricolor, as well as that of other young players in the group, is precisely center-back Arboleda, regarded as a “father figure” for the boys coming up from Cotia, always described as a “good influence” on the youngsters.

But is he really? What kind of influence does someone with several controversial incidents at São Paulo — on top of the biggest stupidity of all, abandoning the club for a month — have on young Tricolor players trying to make a name for themselves?

I have no doubt that “father figure” Arboleda gives tips on clubs, parties, and how to drink and train the next day. “Learn from dad,” the Ecuadorian would say — the same one who was even expelled from his national team precisely for taking an underage young teammate to a nightclub.

With the defender’s reinstatement, Tricolor sends a very clear message: here, people do whatever they want, because there is no leadership. Decisions — such as Arboleda not returning, clearly stated by former director Rui Costa — can change from one day to the next.

The vast majority of Tricolor fans remain outraged by the return of the traitor who even wore a Palmeiras shirt. Dorival Júnior may be one of the least to blame for this decision. He was not there when Arboleda abandoned the team. He arrived later and was asked whether the player could return. Which only shows what everyone already knows: São Paulo is a neglected club with no real leadership in any department.

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