João Martins hails Palmeiras, admits red card, won't tolerate insults | OneFootball

Sometimes we need to take risks. We had a very intense game on Thursday night, with a heavy pitch and a tough match. We arrived at the training center at five in the morning and, the next day, we noticed above-normal fatigue. In the afternoon, we made decisions and that was it. Because of the run of games, we took risks. In football, you can't control everything, but we try to avoid as much as possible. If it happens, it's part of the game. We have a large squad and everyone is capable of playing. These are choices: those who were best prepared for today's game against Guarani.

This free week is very important to recover from the accumulation of games, some injuries and players' issues, trying as much as possible to recover physically and mentally. The wear and tear from travel, games, and concentration is huge, so we need to switch off for two days to refocus.

About the incident, I had been making an effort in these ten games and hadn't received any cards. There is an ethic—at least on our part. We've never had a problem with the opposing bench, because both teams want the best for themselves. We have discussions with the referees, but never with the other bench. In the incident, the coach called me all sorts of names because our team played quickly. Who decides whether to stop the game is the referee. Last year, we started the Brasileirão with clear rules: the referee wouldn't stop the game if a player went down, except in the case of a head injury—and that's already changed. Another rule was that treatment would only happen off the field, which gave more playing time. But that ended quickly. Guarani would have already wasted a lot of time. I would tell my players the same: play. But to be disrespectful and offensive... I have a hot temper. Today I crossed the line, I know that. But it's the first time we've had problems with the opposing bench.

We're in the fifth week. Normally, we use five weeks of preseason, but the difference is we've already played eleven games. It is what it is. We prepared well and feel the group has more energy, but playing every three days, there are no miracles. The squad is evolving quickly. Paulinho needs time and development. He's progressing well, but still with no set return date. Arias trained yesterday and today, he's doing well, spent four or five days dealing with personal matters. If all goes well, he'll be available for the quarterfinals.

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