Gonzalo Pineda explains Josef Martinez suspension & plans for Atlanta United striker

What has already been a depressing season for Atlanta United obtained a little bit bit worse on Wednesday when the membership introduced the suspension of star striker Josef Martinez.

In line with a membership assertion, the choice was taken on account of ‘conduct detrimental to the workforce’ from Martinez, who will miss this weekend’s match in opposition to Toronto FC and is just scheduled to return to workforce actions on Monday, September 12.

Atlanta United offered no additional info past the main points included in a brief press launch. Nonetheless, a report from The Athletic’s Felipe Cardenas said the suspension is the results of an altercation between Martinez and Atlanta United head coach Gonzalo Pineda that befell following a 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers on Sunday.

Cardenes reported that Martinez walked into the locker room after the match – during which he got here off the bench and scored his aspect’s solely objective of the sport – and, in frustration, kicked over a catering desk. Pineda emerged from a separate room and confronted Martinez, with the pair needing to be bodily separated.

To begin with, Pineda insisted he and Martinez saved their distance from one another, that issues by no means obtained bodily, however that the striker’s conduct was nonetheless ample to warrant a suspension.

“We have been arguing, we have been having a dialogue, however we have been at all times two-to-three yards away from one another,” Pineda informed reporters on Thursday. “We didn’t have a bodily altercation.”

He added: “This time we felt it was the suitable time to take motion.”

Pineda revealed that it was a collective choice to droop Martinez, taken between himself, his employees, and members of Atlanta United’s entrance workplace following quite a few on and off-field incidents this season. And although the top coach added that Martinez has not apologized to him personally, Argentine playmaker Thiago Almada revealed that his teammates have obtained an apology.

The report additionally revealed that Martinez had refused to happen in sure coaching drills just a few weeks previous to the Portland match in frustration at not beginning matches – the Venezuela worldwide has come off the bench in every of Atlanta’s final 4 video games, scoring in two of them.

Pineda is not the primary Atlanta United head coach to come back to blows with Martinez. Each Gabriel Heinze and Frank de Boer endured tumultuous relationships with the 29-year-old striker, who has typically been public along with his varied frustrations.

However the truth stays that even when he is not fairly his former, pre-ACL damage, self, Martinez stays an elite striker on this league. The Venezuelan has scored an unimaginable 110 targets in simply 154 appearances for Atlanta United throughout all competitions and is the fastest-ever participant to succeed in 100 targets in mixed MLS regular-season and Playoffs competitors.

Martinez’s targets have led the workforce to MLS Cup, US Open Cup, and Campeones Cup titles and the striker has been a relentless for the membership ever since their inaugural 2017 season.

Is that listing of achievements sufficient to warrant excusing such conduct? For Pineda, it is a query of output vs tradition with a easy reply.

“I used to be very clear with him that he is welcome again on Monday,” he stated. “He is invaluable to all of us right here, he’s a terrific participant. And I would like him again. It is only a matter of what’s extra vital, the tradition or scoring targets? And for me, tradition. It’s tradition over something.”

Constructing on his level concerning the tradition he is trying to construct across the membership, Pineda added: “I used to be within the Academy the opposite day and we have been telling the youngsters values that we like: humility, teamwork, and dedication. If I worth extra the targets than the tradition, what’s the message to these children that all of us spoke in entrance of them? I don’t know.”

As he talked about, Pineda has left the door open for Martinez to return and redeem himself. What’s extra, the Mexican head coach went out of his option to specific his admiration for the striker and all of the positives he brings to Atlanta United.

“We’re all human beings, all of us have good sides and all of us have unhealthy sides,” Pineda stated. “The nice sides of Josef are huge. He’s a terrific individual, I’ve little doubt about it. He has a terrific coronary heart. However as anybody else, all of us make errors.”

He continued: “We nonetheless have an excellent relationship and I can simply discuss to him. I’ve nothing in opposition to him.”

The ball is now in Martinez’s court docket and with Atlanta United sitting eleventh within the Japanese Convention and 6 factors adrift of the Playoffs with simply 5 video games remaining, they want their high goalscorer again onside as quickly as attainable.

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