Why José Martínez was dropped for Corinthians' clash with Atlético-MG | OneFootball

Midfielder José Martínez was benched again by coach Dorival Júnior last Saturday. After missing six training sessions with Corinthians, the Venezuelan was not even included in the squad by the coach for the match against Atlético-MG, valid for the 29th round of the Brazilian Championship.

The episode of Martínez’s absences happened before the derby against Santos. The player was absent from six team activities and was out of last Wednesday’s match. He reported back on the same day of the game and had a meeting with the board to explain what happened.

It was expected that after the sanctions received, Martínez would be available for the clash against Atlético-MG, which did not happen. The player was not included by Dorival, who explained the midfielder’s situation in a press conference after the Alvinegro’s 1-0 win.

The coach understands that the Venezuelan has already resolved the issue with the club’s board and justified the decision not to take him to face Galo due to the few training sessions with the team. Dorival, however, should include the midfielder again for the club’s upcoming fixtures.

“Martínez was left out because he really had a problem. He trained for only two days; there was no way to play him. Now, this isn’t perpetual, it’s not forever. He reached an agreement with the board and explained the situation properly. From now on, he’s fully integrated with all of us, but naturally he will fight for his spot, respecting his teammates who are ahead at the moment,” Dorival explained.

(Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

Understand the case

José Martínez was supposed to return to training last Wednesday, when Corinthians’ squad break for the FIFA window ended. The player, however, did not show up. He contacted Timão’s board and reported family problems, without going into details.

The situation irritated the Alvinegro board and Dorival Júnior’s coaching staff, who were awaiting the player’s return to ask for explanations. Due to the period of absence, he was dropped from the derby against Santos.

Upon reporting back last Wednesday, Martínez claimed he had an issue with his son’s documentation, which was preventing him from flying to Brazil after the three days off granted to the players. Even so, he did not escape sanctions.

The Venezuelan midfielder will have the days of absence deducted from his salary and will also have to pay a “fine” destined for the squad’s “kitty,” an account whose amount is distributed among club employees.

Corinthians’ position in the table

With the result, Corinthians gave an answer to the Fiel Torcida and returned to winning ways after the bitter defeat in the derby against Santos. Timão got some breathing room and once again opened up a gap from the relegation zone, reaching 12th place with 36 points—eight more than Vitória, who top the Z4 and still play this round.

Corinthians’ next matches

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