Defender Robert Arboleda did not arrive at Brasil in the early hours of this Friday and increased the tension with the São Paulo board. The Ecuadorian defender had purchased a ticket to leave Guayaquil on Thursday, expected to arrive in the capital of São Paulo at around 12:30 am. Representantes from the Morumbis club were waiting for the athlete at the airport, but the player did not show up for the flight. Este new episode adds tension to a relationship that was already weakened by previous acts of indiscipline.
The tricolor leadership acted preventively to avoid future legal problems. The club made full payment of April’s salaries and sent a formal notification stipulating a ten-day deadline for the defender’s reappearance. In the understanding of the São Paulo legal department, the time granted was sufficient to travel between the city of Esmeraldas and the main urban centers of Equador. The athlete’s absence from the scheduled boarding was received with deep irritation by the directors.
Notificação formal and legal guarantees of the São Paulo club
São Paulo’s strategy focuses on institutional protection in the face of a possible contract termination. By paying salaries and documenting the reappointment deadline, the board seeks to eliminate any loophole for labor disputes by the player’s staff. The club understands that it has fulfilled all employer obligations while the athlete has remained on Ecuadorian soil without official authorization since the beginning of April.
- Pagamento of salaries made on April 30
- Notificação extrajudicial sent within 10 days
- Reserva of airline tickets paid for by the club
- Monitoramento logistics at international airports
- Registro absence from jobs
The player’s representatives are now awaiting a decision on the defender’s future. Pepe Chamorro, Arboleda’s manager, must mediate the final conversation that will decide whether there will be a severe punishment or the termination of the relationship. The board avoids hasty decisions, but the internal climate points to an imminent rupture.
Impasse in termination negotiations with the manager
Anteriormente, the club and the athlete’s agents had reached an agreement for an amicable exit. Entretanto, the negotiation went backwards when businessman Pepe Chamorro tried to change clauses that had already been verbally accepted by the parties. The decline in financial conditions and deadlines paralyzed the dismissal process that seemed underway last week.
Arboleda’s situation at São Paulo has become unsustainable for several sectors of football management. Enquanto the squad trains aiming for the season’s competitions, the defender remains isolated inside Equador. The lack of direct communication between the athlete and the technical coordinators worsens the perception of lack of commitment. The group of players remains focused on field activities, but the subject dominates behind the scenes of Centro of Treinamento of Barra Funda.
Histórico of controversies and off-field behavior in Equador
The trigger for the current crisis was the athlete traveling without the consent of the technical committee or the executive board. Arboleda left the country shortly after the beginning of April and did not return for mandatory training sessions. Essa is not the first time that the defender has been involved in episodes of indiscipline or delays in reappearances after periods off or called up to the national team.
Abaixo, the points that mark the player’s current scenario in Morumbis:
- Viagem to Equador without prior authorization in April
- Mudança of contractual terms by the agent during conversations
- Ausência on official flight scheduled for May 1st
- Permanência on Guayaquil despite urgency notification
- Desgaste accented with the football board
São Paulo is now awaiting an official position from staff to decide the next steps. Não is expected to purchase new tickets from the club, which expects the player to pay for his own travel after failing to comply with the original schedule. The tendency is for administrative measures, such as heavy fines, to be applied as soon as the athlete sets foot on Brazilian soil.