Rodrigo Prieto, the Venezuelan football champion helping David Martínez settle at Midtjylland

When Venezuelan footballer David Martínez arrived at Midtjylland for his first experience in Europe, one of the people waiting to receive him was a former champion of Venezuelan football. Mexican assistant coach Rodrigo Prieto introduced Martínez to the club’s professionals, accompanied him through his medical tests and showed him around the facilities.

Prieto won Venezuela’s Primera División and the Copa Venezuela with Caracas in 2009. He had arrived in the country the previous year to play for Carabobo, where he scored 13 goals in 20 matches. According to ESPN, eight of those goals came in 15 league appearances. He also finished as the Copa Venezuela’s top scorer in 2009 with eight goals.

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The club has Mexican assistant coach Rodrigo Prieto on its staff. He speaks Spanish and can help the Venezuelan with his adaptation.

At Midtjylland, Prieto serves on the first-team coaching staff and helps French-, Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking players settle into the club. Scouting chief Casper Pedersen described him as an important part of the recruitment process because he understands football language and can communicate directly with new arrivals.

“The club has Mexican assistant coach Rodrigo Prieto on its staff. He speaks Spanish and can help the Venezuelan with his adaptation,” Midtjylland said in its announcement of Martínez’s signing.

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I specialize in Latin American players. I help them overcome the language barriers that can arise when coming to Denmark. I speak Spanish, Portuguese and English, which gives me a good foundation.

Prieto previously explained that his work focuses on Latin American players. “I specialize in Latin American players. I help them overcome the language barriers that can arise when coming to Denmark. I speak Spanish, Portuguese and English, which gives me a good foundation,” he said.

Between 2018 and 2025, Midtjylland had 12 players from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay. Martínez became the club’s Venezuelan addition in 2026. Prieto has also helped players such as Chilean Darío Osorio, who joined Midtjylland in 2023 before moving to Crystal Palace on the final day of the 2026 summer transfer window.

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He is a key figure because he has mastered football language perfectly. He communicates fluently with them, unlike the rest of us, who sometimes remain on the phone translating. In addition to being a coach, he handles the integration of new players.