While disappointed with the team’s second-place finish, he emphasised the positives of the campaign and his pride in the team’s performance.
“I’d like to thank our fans. I’d like to thank everyone who supported us, who sent messages, who made it to the stadium. We’re proud of that support,” Martinelli said in an interview with ESPN Brasil. “We were a little sad, we wanted to win (the Premier League). The whole team and the fans wanted to win because of what happened last year. This year we also had an excellent season again. But these are things that happen in football, especially competing with City and Liverpool, one of the best teams in the world.”
He praised Arsenal‘s “excellent” season, highlighting their return to the Champions League and their quarterfinal run in the competition. While the team didn’t secure any major trophies, Martinelli emphasised the importance of learning from the experience.
“We can’t discard the year, we can’t say it wasn’t good, because it was excellent. After years out of the Champions League, we played, we faced Bayern Munich (in the quarterfinals). Maybe we lacked a little luck in some games. City, everyone knows how strong they are. But I was happy with my team and our season,” he said.
Martinelli also revealed how the fans’ reactions to the Manchester City vs. West Ham match influenced the Arsenal players during their own game against Everton.
“We tried to focus on our game. It wouldn’t do any good if we didn’t win here. We did our best. But we listened to the fans,” he admitted. “When West Ham scored (against City), we heard their euphoria… I’m happy for the season and a little sad about how it ended,” he lamented.
With the Premier League season behind him, Martinelli is now focused on representing Brazil in the upcoming Copa America.
“I’m very happy to be called up, we have a very good team. I’m very excited. We won’t rest, but that’s the price you pay. I hope we can have an excellent Copa America and bring that title,” he said.
