Corinthians in talks for mutual contract termination with José Martínez | OneFootball

By André Costa and Tiago Salazar

José Martínez will no longer wear the Corinthians jersey. Dissatisfied with the player's conduct, the club is negotiating an amicable agreement to terminate the Venezuelan midfielder's contract.

In recent days, the Timão management considered the possibility of terminating the contract for just cause. The athlete reported back more than a month late after the holidays and returned with a severe injury to his left knee.

Corinthians, however, changed its strategy, understanding that the case could be subject to legal disputes. Thus, they proposed an amicable termination. In any case, Martínez has already been informed by the management that he will not remain at the club.

The information was initially published by ESPN and confirmed by Gazeta Esportiva.

Distant Outcome

According to the report's investigation, the negotiation between Corinthians and José Martínez's staff is still far from a conclusion.

The club has already made an offer, but the player's representatives made a counteroffer considered 'unrealistic' by the management. The parties continue to negotiate and hope to reach a common ground.

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Understand the Case

Martínez's delay in reporting to the Dr. Joaquim Grava Training Center caused discomfort among the management and technical staff of Corinthians. The club even decided not to pay the midfielder's salary for the month of January.

The player traveled to Venezuela to renew his passport during the holidays. However, during this period, there was a U.S. military attack that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, which caused delays in the country's public services.

Because of this, Martínez only applied for the new passport on January 13. Corinthians understands the bureaucratic issues but believes the athlete could have expedited the process last year.

The player finally returned to Brazil last Friday but presented a problem: he had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The Venezuelan's last game for Corinthians was the Copa do Brasil final against Vasco on December 21, 2025. Six days later, already on vacation, he participated in a festive match in Venezuela.

During his absence, the midfielder missed training sessions and nine Timão matches. He kept in contact with executive Marcelo Paz but ignored a message from Dorival Júnior. The coach did not hide his dissatisfaction in press conferences.

Signed in 2024, José Martínez has scored two goals and provided two assists in 70 games for Corinthians, in addition to winning two titles: the Paulista Championship and the Copa do Brasil, both in 2025.

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