Josef Martinez, the 2018 MVP and centerpiece of Atlanta United’s rise to prominence in Major League Soccer, was released by the team on Wednesday and quickly signed a deal with Inter Miami.
The corresponding moves were not unexpected, given Martinez’s struggles last season under United coach Gonzalo Pineda.
Still, it was jarring news for Atlanta’s passionate fan base, which had adopted the 29-year-old Venezuelan as one of its own. He even had a large mural painted on a wall near Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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