Hulk on Sampaoli’s exit, celebrates first Atlético-MG hat-trick | OneFootball

Hulk was responsible for three of the seven goals scored by Atlético-MG in the 7-2 victory over Itabirito on Saturday night, in a match from the eighth round of the Campeonato Mineiro. After securing a spot in the semifinals, the Galo's number 7 opened up about the departure of coach Jorge Sampaoli and celebrated his first hat-trick for the Minas Gerais club.

“First of all, I want to thank God for our achieved goal, which was today's victory, the three points, which could give us the qualification. Happy for the qualification, in pursuit of the seventh consecutive title, it's not easy,” he stated to Premiere.

Hulk opens up about Sampaoli's departure

Jorge Sampaoli was dismissed from Atlético-MG last Thursday after a 3-3 draw with Remo in the Brazilian Championship. The Argentine had a stint of about six months at the club. This season, he led the team in ten games, with two wins, seven draws, and one loss.

“There was the farewell of our coach, and like it or not, we also have a share of the blame, because we are the players who take the field, and the result speaks a lot about the player's performance on the field, of the team. So, like it or not, we have this share, a big share in the dismissal of our coach. We needed to give a positive response, the team showed that it can play better games, so, thank God for this victory,” he declared.

“Apologies to Sampaoli and his entire staff for not having helped more, on behalf of the players. And thank God for my first hat-trick wearing the Galo jersey. I've scored several braces, but this is my first hat-trick, I'm very happy and I thank God, thank my wife, who is always praying with me, and all the Massa Atleticana,” continued the number 7.

With four goals scored in the Campeonato Mineiro, Hulk aims for the top scorer title of the State Championship, but assured that he prefers the title over the individual achievement.

“Sixth year competing in the Mineiro. I was the top scorer in four of the five previous ones. It won't be easy to try for the top scorer five years in a row. I prefer the title, but if it comes with the top scorer, it will be perfect,” he concluded.

Atlético-MG's Situation

With the victory over Itabirito, Atlético-MG advanced to the semifinals of the Campeonato Mineiro with 14 points, leading Group A. The Galo

Next game for Atlético-MG

Match: Grêmio vs. Atlético-MG Competition: Brazilian Championship (4th round) Date and time: February 25, 2026 (Wednesday), at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) Location: Arena do Grêmio, in Porto Alegre (RS)

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