Martinelli eyes Libertadores clash: “I’ve adapted as holding midfielder”

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·28 August 2026

Martinelli eyes Libertadores clash: “I’ve adapted as holding midfielder”

One of Fluminense’s standout players this season, Martinelli spoke at a press conference at CT Carlos Castilho this Friday (28) after training. Having qualified for the Libertadores quarterfinals, the midfielder commented on the tension of the penalty shootout in the round of 16 and on the quarterfinal clash against Platense.

“I think that when it goes to penalties, everyone gets very tense… Sometimes you don’t have much control over what’s going to happen… Thank God everything worked out, we managed to convert our kicks… We’re focused on the Brasileirão, preparing ourselves so that when the Libertadores matches come, we can have a good quarterfinal,” said Martinelli.

Martinelli has been one of the key names in Tricolor’s midfield since André’s departure in 2024. This season, the No. 8 has been playing as a holding midfielder, but in some matches he ends up appearing more inside the box. The midfielder spoke about his current form this season.

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“I think I adapted as the holding midfielder, but I can also rotate with Hércules or with Nonato, we have that chemistry. I’m going through a good moment, we managed to find the path to victory, which increases any team’s confidence.”

Martinelli also took the opportunity to comment on Thiago Silva. Since Marcão took over the team, the center-back has been offering some ideas and helping the coach.

“He’s a very experienced guy, I think he’s been through a lot of situations, so he sees the game in a different way from other players… he’s able to guide us, he’s a guy who is fair, intelligent, who commands the defensive side, and we can only learn from him. He could become a great coach.”

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