Inter Miami drops Josef Martinez for 2024. Who else is leaving? Staying? Still in talks…..
Venezuelan forward Josef Martinez, the former Major League Soccer MVP who joined Inter Miami with much fanfare in January, is gone after just one season.
Inter Miami announced on Wednesday its post-season roster decisions and Martinez’s contract option for 2024 was declined, as was the option for Jake LaCava, who played sparingly. Victor Ulloa, one of just three players left from the team’s first season, is out of contract and will not return to the team.
We’re proud of building a team that was able to win the first title in Inter Miami history this year and will continue to look to build on that to find further success moving forward,” said sporting director Chris Henderson. “Now we will look ahead to 2024. We hope to come back even stronger next season, and be ready to compete for more.”
Martinez scored 98 goals over 134 games before his arrival in Miami and in 2018 became the most decorated single-season player in MLS history, winning league MVP, All-Star Game MVP, Golden Boot and MLS Cup Final MVP. He led Atlanta United to the 2018 MLS Cup title.
He was brought to Miami to replace retired Argentine Gonzalo Higuain but had an up and down season. He went scoreless for his first nine games, and the team went on a long losing streak. He finished the year with seven goals in 27 MLS games, three goals in Leagues Cup and two in the U.S. Open Cup.
Inter Miami coach Tata Martino announced after the season-ending loss against Charlotte FC that Martinez did not travel to the game because he is not part of the team’s plans for next season.
