Pedro Martins, currently serving at Al Gharafa in Qatar, is one of the names considered to take over the coaching position at Atlético Mineiro following the dismissal of Jorge Sampaoli last week, according to Globo Esporte. The Brazilian club's management has already made inquiries to assess the situation of the Portuguese coach. A BOLA reports that Carlos Carvalhal, former SC Braga coach, has already declined an offer, while Vasco Botelho da Costa from Moreirense and Artur Jorge from Al Rayyan and former Botafogo have also been considered. Currently, Abel Ferreira from Palmeiras and Luís Castro from Grêmio are the only Portuguese coaches in the Brasileirão. Conversations between Hulk's team (captain and former FC Porto player) and Pedro Martins' representatives are still in the early stages. When contacted by the same source, the Belo Horizonte club preferred not to comment on the matter. The 55-year-old coach will lead his team against Tractor on Tuesday in a match for the Asian Champions League. The search for a new coach is being conducted cautiously by the Galo management, which aims to avoid hasty decisions that led to mistakes in the past. The management is not in a hurry, and the hiring process may take more than a week, with the target list consisting exclusively of foreign coaches. The final decision will be made by football executive Paulo Bracks and shareholder Rafael Menin. Since leaving Portugal, from Vitória de Guimarães, Pedro Martins has built a successful resume abroad: first at Olympiakos, where he won three consecutive Greek championships (2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22) and one Greek Cup (2019/20). In early 2023, he moved to Al Gharafa, where he has already played 116 matches, totaling 52 wins, 22 draws, and 42 losses. While the succession is not defined, Atlético Mineiro's team is being led by interim coach Lucas Gonçalves. After Saturday's victory against Itabirito, the squad enjoyed three days off and will return to training this Wednesday to prepare for the clash with América, related to the first leg of the Campeonato Mineiro semi-finals, scheduled for next Sunday.
Pedro Martins Al Gharafa remains central to this story.
Pedro Martins Al Gharafa remains central to this story.
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