Sampaoli discusses Hulk’s situation and Rony’s future after Atlético draw

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·11 janvier 2026

Sampaoli discusses Hulk’s situation and Rony’s future after Atlético draw

After the 1-1 draw between Atlético and Betim on Sunday night (11), at Arena MRV, during the first round of the Campeonato Mineiro, coach Jorge Sampaoli held a press conference and addressed important topics for the alvinegro team, including Hulk's situation in the squad, the possibility of Rony leaving, and the group's planning for the rest of the season.

When asked about Hulk, who was not included for the State Championship debut, Sampaoli made it clear that the forward is still training normally but avoided going into details about any future decisions, emphasizing the institutional nature of the matter.

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“Hulk is currently training with us, with the group that is not planned to play at the start of the Mineiro. He is training very hard. I haven't had any conversation with him; it's a matter that is much more institutional than professional sports. We are working and preparing, I have no knowledge of anything”, stated the coach.

Subsequently, the Argentine coach praised the dedication of the number 7 in training and highlighted that he is still looking for the best way to utilize him, should he remain in the squad.

Hulk is training very well, and we know all his capabilities. We have to explore with him what his best position is, the best movements. It depends exclusively on each match, each moment. If Hulk is working with us every day and we are trying to improve him, it's because we believe there is a possibility to improve his positional play, that's all. I will use all the players who are in my squad.

Is Rony staying at Galo?

Another topic addressed was Rony's situation, whose name has been linked to a possible departure from the club. Sampaoli denied blocking any negotiations and emphasized that the decision is much more up to the player himself.

I didn't block anything. I talked to Rony yesterday and normally said that the most important thing is that he feels good where he is. He is a player who, for me, is very useful in various aspects of the game. Today it was on the right or in the center. He may not have the scoring ability the team needs, but there are many things I value in him. Rony gives his all in the game, and I value that, I appreciate it. So this situation is more his than mine.

Finally, Sampaoli reinforced that he wants to count only on committed and satisfied players at Atlético and expressed hope for a quick resolution in market movements: “I don't want any player here who is not happy. Surely the best is that every athlete who is with us is committed and motivated. We need to quickly resolve our squad, with the changes that are happening. We need to finalize the negotiations that are happening to have the entire squad complete and be clear about which players will stay and which will leave”.

Atlético returns to the field next Wednesday (14), when they face North at 7:30 PM in Montes Claros, for the second round of the Campeonato Mineiro.

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