In the era of the Golden Yuan Super League, the Chinese Super League is wielding checks and searching for super players around the world, and Jackson Martinez has brought endless reverie to fans after the official landing in the Chinese Super League. However, after only half a season, the Colombian began to suffer a vicious circle of serious injuries - surgery - rehabilitation - re-operation, after a huge bet of 820 million, Guangzhou Evergrande (now renamed Guangzhou Team) did not wait for the super shooter, only bought a lonely, J Ma waited for a helpless farewell and then retired.
Now let's talk about Martinez's sad journey in the Chinese Super League.
Behind the high-priced signing, the hidden dangers have long been buried
On February 6, 2016, Guangzhou Evergrande announced that the introduction of Atletico scorer Jackson Martinez at a high price of 42 million euros set a new record for transfer fees in the Chinese Super League, although it was surpassed by Suning's signing of Teixeira (50 million euros) a few days later, but the deal was still called a wang explosive signing by Guangzhou fans.
Not optimistic about this transfer is the Spanish media, Marca newspaper is pessimistic: J-Ma only scored 3 goals in Atletico's 22 games, and in the months before leaving the team, he sat completely on the bench, and even did not enter the game list, Evergrande is so rich, why buy him?
What's even stranger about the deal is that in the summer of 2015, Atletico had replaced Himinez with Martinez after Mandzukic joined Juve, but in just over half a season, they almost unthinkingly raised the price by 7 million euros, giving him a high price to Evergrande.
From the perspective of the time, it was not unreasonable for Evergrande to take Martinez at a high price, despite its poor performance in La Liga. But when he played for Porto in the Portuguese Premier League, he was a goal machine that shone in Europe. Since arriving at the Dragon Stadium in the summer of 2012, he has won the Portuguese Premier League Golden Boot for three consecutive seasons, constantly breaking records.
During his three years at Porto, the Colombian did not suffer serious injuries and scored a staggering 92 goals in 132 games, which is enough for a strong team in the Chinese Super League.
Newcomer: 0 goals in 360 minutes in the AFC Champions League, criticized for only abusing dishes
After coming to Evergrande, the then coach Scolari specially customized an exclusive strategy for the Colombian, that is, to use his superb shooting skills in front of the goal to let his teammates provide more fire support.
However, after the first two games of the AFC Champions League (0-0 draw at home to Pohang Steel, 1-2 away defeat to Sydney FC), coupled with the three matches of the Chinese Super Cup 2-0 Jiangsu Suning, J Ma was unable to enter the form and missed many scoring opportunities in front of the goal.
In the first match of the Chinese Super League and Chongqing, J Ma scored a goal, but missed at least 3 good opportunities, including an empty goal. It was also after this battle that Scolari returned Gaulat to the arrow position, and this change had excellent results. In the subsequent Chinese Super League, they defeated Changchun Yatai and Guangzhou R&F, and Martinez scored.
In contrast, the Colombian who played 360 minutes in the first 4 rounds of the AFC Champions League has gained 0 goals and 0 assists, and behind the team's poor record of 2 draws and 2 losses, he has naturally become a back pot man, and even the Japanese and Korean media have seen the hilarity and not a big deal: Evergrande bought a high-priced parallel goods.
The view of many fans is that when faced with a slightly weaker defensive line, J Ma can still play a role.
The vicious circle of injuries: the unlucky Martinez
It is not objective to say that Martinez has a bad attitude and does not work hard in training. During that downturn, Colombians often practiced in gyms and training grounds on their own, hoping to quickly find the feeling of breaking the goal.
In the 4th round of the 2016 Chinese Super League, Evergrande played Henan Jianye away, martinez was shoveled down by McGwin in the 63rd minute, rolling on the ground in pain, embarrassing that there were no Evergrande players to come to ask at this time. After being carried off the field, he was subsequently diagnosed with an ankle injury and recuperated for 4 months.
(Pictured) Unlucky! J Ma embarked on a nightmare journey after being injured in a battle with Jianye
In August of that year, Martinez returned, scoring a goal in 110 minutes in four games, and then injured again, this time he rested for a month, and after playing 90 minutes after his comeback, he was seriously injured again. Before the end of the season, he returned to Porto for ankle surgery on his left foot after discussions with the club, and rested for another 5 months.
(Pictured) This was J Ma's last goal left in the Chinese Super League, scoring against Liaoning
What is even more unlucky is that the Colombian who returned to Evergrande is actively recovering and preparing to play, but minor injuries continue to delay recovery. Waiting until July, J Ma found that there was no place for him in the team, and just as his agent and Evergrande were discussing whether to temporarily loan him back to Europe to find their form, Martinez was injured again, the position was still ankle, and the only option was to operate again.
Throughout the 2017 season, Martinez did not get a 1-minute official appearance due to injury, and this operation allowed him to return to the court until the beginning of the 2018 season. However, at this time, the Football Association introduced a policy to restrict foreign aid from playing, and Cannavaro was not cold to him, and he had no place in the team at all.
The injured J horse has been actively recovering, but fate is always joking
Farewell after 3 and a half years: Evergrande and J Ma are liberated
In June 2018, Martinez, who missed the World Cup due to injury, was discouraged and was no longer willing to wait, and after negotiations with Evergrande, he returned to the Portuguese Premier League on loan and joined Portimão.
Martinez, who returned to his old place, briefly regained his form, scoring 9 goals and assisting 3 times in his 27 appearances in his first season, and Evergrande once wanted him to return, but due to the continuous and physical delay in recovering to the best due to minor injuries, he was sluggish again in the second season, with only a pitiful 3 goals in 26 appearances.
By the end of 2019, although there are still half-year contracts, it is clear that Evergrande and Martinez have no view of continuing the leading edge at all, and break up peacefully! Martinez joined portimão for free.
After 3 and a half years of suffering, this time, both sides were really relieved.
Behind the 820 million high bet: a goal costs 28 million euros
How much Evergrande spent on J Martinez is not difficult to calculate. His transfer fee is 42 million euros, signed for 4 years, after tax annual salary of 12.5 million euros, if calculated according to pre-tax, plus some other expenses, 4 years more than 80 million yuan, minus the last half of the last six months of the team of nearly 10 million, the total cost is 42 million + 70 million, close to 112 million euros, about 820 million yuan!
In the three and a half years of the Chinese Super League, J Ma made a total of 15 appearances at Evergrande, scoring 4 goals and 2 assists, all in 2016. Among them, in the Chinese Super League 10 games 604 minutes 4 goals and 1 assist, Super Cup 90 minutes 1 assist, AFC Champions League 4 games 360 minutes contributed no contribution.
If you look at the data, Martinez's expense is even more staggering, which means that he costs 28 million euros per goal scored, while the Colombian costs Evergrande 106,000 euros per minute on the field. Really a super-expensive luxury player.
If you can do it all over again: he won't come, he won't buy
For Martinez, the adventure of the Chinese Super League is simply a disaster level, and he has rarely been injured before, but he has suffered 4 consecutive serious injuries and surgeries at Evergrande, which directly destroyed his career.
On December 8, 2020, the Colombian, who was suffering from injuries, announced his retirement, and he chose the photo of himself when he played for Evergrande.
Unlike players like Tevez and Barrios, who make money and complain constantly, J Ma has always felt guilty and wants to make a positive comeback, but his fate is uncertain.
Born in poverty, Martinez became a professional player step by step by relying on his own efforts, and when he was young, he even had no money to eat for 3 days a week. To become the Golden Boot of the Portuguese Super League, his parents revealed that the unremitting efforts and persistence he has paid are unimaginable to outsiders.
Unfortunately, after a journey full of adventure in the Chinese Super League, Martinez gained only endless injuries and hateful retirement. For Evergrande, the 820 million yuan for the club that year was just a drizzle, but compared with them who are now in crisis, if there is such a huge amount of money, the fate of the club will be completely changed.
Some things in the world are not clear at all, but they happen helplessly when they should not happen.
If it can be repeated, maybe Jackson Martinez will stay quiet at Atletico waiting for his chance, Evergrande will use the gold dollar to smash another world-class striker, then the fate of a famous striker and a powerful club that has won the AFC Champions League twice will change...
Unfortunately, everything cannot be repeated!