Emery strips Dibu Martínez of Villa vice-captaincy, England shocked | OneFootball

Unai Emery's decision to strip Emiliano Martínez of the vice-captaincy sparked debate at Aston Villa and in the British press. The change became evident in the 2-0 victory against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League, when, in the absence of captain John McGinn, the armband went to Ezri Konsa instead of the Mar del Plata goalkeeper, as was usually the case, something that surprised the fans and highlighted a possible rift between the coach and his star player.

According to English reports, the relationship between the coach and the world champion had cooled during the last transfer window, when the player flirted with the possibility of moving to Manchester United, a deal that ultimately did not materialize. That episode may have been the trigger for the coach to reconsider the captaincy structure.

At the end of last season, the former Independiente player had shown farewell gestures to the stands after a match, which reignited speculation about his continuity. Despite his intention to change clubs, Martínez remained in Birmingham, albeit with a different internal position than months before.

During the press conference following the match against the Israeli team, Emery himself confirmed the change: “Normally, we have another captain, Emi Martínez, as vice-captain. But now, after speaking with him, I prefer to remove him from that role. Konsa is next.”

The coach also clarified that other players are on the list of potential captains. “Tyrone Mings, along with Ollie Watkins as well. We usually manage it that way,” he added, hinting that the Argentine goalkeeper is no longer part of the leadership hierarchy within the squad.

Since his arrival at the club, Dibu has become one of the team's pillars, both for his performance and his personality. His role as vice-captain reflected his influence in the locker room and his closeness with the fans. Emery's decision, however, marks a turning point in the internal dynamics, which are now going through a delicate moment.

Despite the context, the goalkeeper once again stood out against Maccabi Tel Aviv, with two key saves that maintained the result. In the first half, he denied Dor Peretz a goal with a spectacular reaction, and in the second half, he shone again against the same opponent when the match was still open.

Thanks to his performance and the team's collective effort, the English side secured the 2-0 win and solidified their sixth place in the group, with 9 points that bring them closer to the Europa League round of 16, without needing to play the playoffs.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.