Martínez still without passport as Corinthians set no new return date | OneFootball

José Martínez remains without a passport to leave Venezuela and Corinthians have set no new date for his return.

The player said in a social media post that he wants to be training and playing but is waiting for a new passport in Venezuela. He added he expects to return soon and that staff and directors are fully aware via frequent contact.

The club had most recently expected him to report by Friday, based on an anticipated passport delivery on Thursday. That did not happen and he remains in limbo. His previous passport ran out of blank pages, preventing further travel.

Amid the bureaucracy around the new document, the United States captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, in an incursion that disrupted public services in the following days.

His absence stretches to more than a month when including the post-Copa do Brasil period from 21 December, and it has irked directors, the football department and coaching staff. Corinthians could impose financial penalties, including a salary deduction.

This is not the first time Martínez has missed a reporting deadline. The squad reconvened for the 2026 season on 3 January, the day football executive Marcelo Paz became aware of the situation.

Source: Globo.com