Paz confirms Martínez leaving Corinthians: “Action had to be taken” | OneFootball

Corinthians’ football executive Marcelo Paz spoke out about the José Martínez case this Thursday, after the victory over Red Bull Bragantino at Neo Química Arena, for the Brazilian Championship. The executive confirmed that the club is close to amicably terminating the player’s contract.

Marcelo Paz said that Timão could have unilaterally terminated the contract for just cause, but decided to propose an amicable agreement, considering the player’s side. He stated that the board is in “final negotiations” with the Venezuelan midfielder’s staff.

“In the name of transparency, I am here to talk about the situation of José Martínez. Everyone is aware of the situation, the difficulty we had at the beginning of the year with his return and now his comeback with an injury. We discussed internally what measures should be taken. We sought an amicable agreement, which is in its final negotiations. We could have unilaterally terminated the contract, but we opted for an amicable agreement, understanding the player’s side,” said the executive.

“When he was here, he honored the shirt, but disciplinary matters come first, we couldn’t let such conduct go unnoticed. The agreement has been decided upon and is in its final details. I wish Martínez good luck, a good recovery, and we will provide assistance for his surgery. Afterwards, he will go through recovery and will return to play, but at another club. I believe it’s important to clarify this so there are no doubts about the case,” he concluded.

The agreement being negotiated between the parties stipulates that Corinthians will cover the cost of José Martínez’s surgery, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. In addition, the club will pay 30% of the salary from February to December 2026 that the player would have been entitled to.

Understand the case

Martínez’s delay in reporting to CT Dr. Joaquim Grava caused discomfort among the Corinthians board and coaching staff. The club even decided not to pay the midfielder’s salary for the month of January.

The player traveled to Venezuela to reissue his passport during the holidays. However, during this period, there was a US 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 submitted his application for a new passport on January 13. Corinthians understands the bureaucratic issues, but believes the player could have started the process last year.

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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 match for Corinthians was the Copa do Brasil final against Vasco, on December 21, 2025. Six days later, already on vacation, he played in a festive match in Venezuela.

During his absence, the midfielder missed training sessions and ten matches for Timão. He kept in touch 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 scored two goals and provided two assists in 70 matches for Corinthians, in addition to winning two titles: the Campeonato Paulista 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.