Jackson Martínez is still considered one of Colombia’s best strikers in recent years. He left his marks on goalscoring at teams like Independiente Medellín, Jaguares de Chiapas and Porto, as well as his country’s national team. Today he has not played for more than two years and devotes himself more christian music.
After his dazzling spell in the Portuguese league, the forward known as ‘Pantera’ or ‘Cha-cha-chá’ has not found the same success at Atlético de Madrid or any other club. Next we explain why he is no longer playing and what is being said about his possible return to the pitches.
Jackson Martinez’s career
Jackson Martínez began his professional career in 2004 with Independiente Medellín. The confidence shown in him by his coach Pedro Sarmiento was key for him to show the best of his football: in six years at Rojo de la Montaña he scored 44 goals and won the 2009 finalizing tournament title.
With the DIM, Jackson Martínez scored 44 goals. Photo: AFP
After winning the affection of the DIM fans, Martínez went to Mexico where he wore the jersey of the DIM Chiapas Jaguarsa team in which he scored 36 goals between 2010 and 2012. After that he went to postage of the Portuguese league worth $11 million and despite the complicated task of replacing Radamel Falcao, he showed his full potential with 92 goals and seven titles in three years.
The “Panther” became an idol in Portugal and also with the Colombian team; He scored two goals with the coffee farmers in Brazil’s unforgettable 2014 season. At the peak of his career, Jackson joined Atlético de Madrid for €35m. However, luck was not smiling on him: he scored just three goals in 22 games and was substituted on several times.
The Colombian also suffered a serious ankle injury that he struggled with for a long time. In less than a year, Martínez left the mattress team for Guangzhou, China. There he was plagued by physical complaints, like two years later in Portimonense, Portugal. As of 2020, the forward was left without a club.
What is Jackson Martinez doing now?
Jackson Martínez is currently away from the courts, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t plan to return to them: In mid-2022, he revealed to Blu radio show Sports Blog that he’s had two “serious” offers pulled off his boots back to.
This could be confirmed by the version of the Colombian program “Al Rojo Vivo” that says so Jackson Martinez he could play with Independiente Medellín, the team he debuted with; However, this would only happen in January 2023 as his wife has asked him to accompany her during her pregnancy in Portugal where they are currently living.
On the other hand, since 2018, the player decided to venture into the world of Christian music and rap in particular. He has already released two albums and this October he just released a new song called “In Christ I am”.
“I had a life full of lust and joy in sin. I enjoyed them because I didn’t see them that way, but as something normal, like everyone else. You’ll never see God until he’s the only thing you have, so I made the decision to focus on him,” the footballer said, speaking to Channel 1 from Colombia.
Martínez recounts that he started writing songs when he had two surgeries that added two years to his time off the court. In it he was encouraged to release an album. “I would define my music as music that focuses on sharing the Word of God,” he told Movistar’s Vamos.