José Andrés Martínez’s departure from the Union to Brazil’s Corinthians is official

The Union’s sale of veteran defensive midfielder José Andrés Martínez to Brazil’s Corinthians became official on Monday, in a deal worth $1.6 million plus potential future incentives.

“In this city, I lived incredible moments,” Martínez wrote in a farewell message on social media Friday night. “Special thanks to the people for so much love.”

(If Corinthians sounds familiar, it might be because the Eagles play their season opener in that team’s stadium in São Paulo on Sept. 6.)

Martínez was a locked-in starter at defensive midfield for most of the last 4½ seasons and was a key piece of the Union’s high-pressing system. His all-action game included not just tough tackling, but great skill at turning those steals into forward passes to teammates that launched attacks.

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That success is all the more impressive because Martínez wasn’t ticketed for it when he arrived in Chester.

The Union signed two defensive midfielders heading into the 2020 season, Martínez and Matej Oravec, needing to replace the departed Haris Medunjanin with more defensive bite. Oravec was the more expensive of the two, but Martínez outworked him by so much that Oravec never played a game for the Union.

Along the way, Martínez earned 31 appearances for Venezuela’s national team, including at two Copa Américas and many World Cup qualifiers. He dueled with some of the sport’s biggest stars, such as Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Neymar, and produced a few viral highlights.

“He is one of one, is the best way I can put it,” Union manager Jim Curtin said after Martínez’s final game for the team earlier this month. “There won’t be another José Martínez here at the Union. He is not replaceable. He’s a guy that I owe a ton of my success at the club [to] — whatever small amount of success I’ve had, I owe a lot to José and what he’s brought.”

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But there were also many days when Martínez was frustrating, to Curtin and fans alike. He drew 56 yellow cards in 148 games, and while he was red-carded only once, he had many suspensions for yellow card accumulations. This year, he also turned the ball over more often than anyone would like, though he had done better in recent games.

There were many days over the years when Curtin lamented that indiscipline. But on Saturday, he forgave Martínez’s sins.

“I’ll live through all the yellow cards, red cards, all that stuff, I love it,” Curtin said. “Because he cares, and he wants to win.”

Now consider how many times Martínez charged forward with the ball in midfield 40 yards from goal, lined up a long-range shot that might not have been the best idea, and launched it anyway.

He scored on two of those attempts over the years, and they were epic. But a heap more flew into the stands and turned the ball over — no matter how often Union fans shouted at him to shoot, believing this time it would go in.

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Then add to the mix the knowledge that there’s clearly going to be a big overhaul of the Union’s roster this winter. The signing of Danley Jean-Jacques was the latest of many hints about that, and Martínez recently turned 30.

Martínez has had suitors from abroad before, and from a wide range of places: Mexico, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. None was quite right to agree on.

Corinthians’ offer was serious enough, coming from one of Brazil’s biggest clubs. The São Paulo-based outfit has won seven Brazilian championships and the 2012 Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League. And Martínez isn’t the only MLS product on the club’s roster: Corinthians just signed New York City FC’s Talles Magno on a yearlong loan.

The time was right to make a deal. So it wasn’t surprising that the Union made it.

“José has played an important role in the club’s success over his five seasons with the Union,” sporting director Ernst Tanner said in a statement. “He has steadily developed while with the Union, becoming incredibly dominant in the midfield and a key asset in the milestones the team has reached. We appreciate his dedication and passion to the team and city both on and off the field, and wish him all the best in this next chapter.”

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