Hulk celebrates Atlético-MG draw and brushes off contract row: "I'm happy" | OneFootball

Atlético-MG secured an important 1-1 draw against Independiente del Valle on Tuesday, in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana semifinal, in Guayaquil. The equalizing goal came in injury time, with Dudu scoring after an assist from Hulk — who, besides analyzing the result, also commented on the recent controversy involving his contract with the club.

“The fans aren't seeing or hearing my interviews because I decided not to give interviews in the last few days. I'm trying to focus and get back to being the Hulk everyone is used to seeing on the field. The goal didn't come, but I was very happy with the assist. Sometimes, the assist is much more important than the goal,” the forward told ESPN.

Hulk also made a point to emphasize his good relationship with the Atlético board, especially with President Sérgio Coelho, after rumors about the termination of his contract emerged.

“Regarding the news that came out in the last 24 hours, it was discussed. I talked a lot with our president (Sérgio Coelho), who is a spectacular guy. As long as I'm here, I don't know how much longer I'll be, but as long as I'm here, I'll definitely be here with a lot of love,” he added.

The statement comes a day after Atlético-MG issued an official note denying any possibility of contract termination. The club highlighted that the speculations were “unfounded” and reaffirmed the bond with the forward until December 2026.

Despite going through a goal drought — the last one scored was in August, against Godoy Cruz — Hulk remains one of the main technical and emotional references of the squad. Since joining Galo in 2021, he has scored 130 goals and provided 48 assists in 275 matches.

Dudu celebrates his first goal with Atlético-MG

The scorer of the equalizing goal in injury time, Dudu left the field with a big smile and a sense of accomplishment. The forward celebrated his first goal wearing the Atlético jersey and highlighted the importance of the result away from home.

“Happy for the goal, we've been chasing this for a long time, my first with the Atlético-MG shirt. We would have liked to leave with a victory, but the draw, given the circumstances, was a good result,” he said.

The player also celebrated gaining rhythm and physical improvement in recent weeks. “We needed to improve a bit physically, and that's been happening. Now we're gaining minutes and confidence. I hope the fans show up for the return leg to push us towards the final.”

The return match between Atlético-MG and Independiente del Valle will be played next Tuesday at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), at Arena MRV. The winner advances to the Sudamericana final — in case of another draw, the decision will be made on penalties.

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