PressSplit
Argentine world champion goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is known as a provocateur. FIFA has now banned him for two games.
Buenos Aires – Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar will forever be associated with two players in particular: Lionel Messi crowned his career, Emiliano Martínez did it with an outstanding goalkeeping performance in the final against France possible. The keeper of the English club Aston Villa has been in the public eye ever since.
Martínez repeatedly attracts attention with provocations. A gesture of celebration that he showed when he was awarded the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper at the World Cup in Qatar has become dubious in fame: Martínez held the trophy in front of his crotchgestured towards French fans. A repetition of the gesture with the Copa América trophy was now the goalkeeper’s undoing.
Emiliano Martínez was also banned for two games for this celebratory gesture. © IMAGO/Daiana Panza
Emiliano Martínez punished for celebrating gesture and attacking TV camera
FIFA had initiated disciplinary proceedings and has now made a decision: As the Argentine association AFA announcedMartínez was suspended for two games. This resulted in two incidents being punished. After a win over Chile, the keeper repeated his gesture of celebration; after a defeat against Colombia, he batted away a TV camera that had come close to him on the pitch.
Martínez now has to watch the qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia in October. The Argentine federation angrily pointed out that FIFA had not accepted the player’s defense. For its part, the AFA firmly states that it “absolutely disagrees” with the decision. Martínez was voted FIFA World Goalkeeper in 2022 and won the Jashin Trophy at the Ballon d’or in 2023.
