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ATLÉTICO DE MADRID

Jackson vents over tension with Atletico Madrid teammates

The Colombian striker spoke sadly about how his teammates said he was not committed to the team and promises that the opposite is true.

Update:
Jackson vents over tension with Atletico Madrid teammates
Jesús Rubio

Jackson Martinez does not harbour good memories of his brief stint at Atletico Madrid, as he revealed in an interview with Porto Canal. The Colombian striker, who signed with Atletico for €35 million in the summer of 2015 recalls the tension before he left and the things that were said about him after he left that he says were not true. His signing was set to be the second coming of Simeone's dominant Atletico but in February 2016, Martinez was sold to Guangzhou Evergrande in China for a figure close to €42 million.

Jackson posing as he moved to China.
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Jackson posing as he moved to China.

Almost a year later, Martinez relived his last few months there and assures that he fought until the very end and remained professional despite his lacklustre form even though many doubt that was the case. "There was a lot of expactation on me. I had great support from the management, the coach, however, things started to go wrong. When I had the injury, it was when I was just starting to improve and to adapt. It is important to adapt to a style of play and it is clear that I did not. I was sad when I left because I heard some of my teammates say that I was not committed to the team. It is a strange thing, if there if one thing that I always try to do is to be the ultimate professional," says the former Atletico striker.

Jackson also spoke about the hard days when his exit to China was sealed. "They were very tense days. The people said 'Jackson Martínez chose the money and the glory'. I can say that my life is not guided by money or glory," he said. Jackson played 15 league games for Atletico and scored two goals with two assists.