Emiliano Martinez stirs up tension with France with message to PSG fans | OneFootball

Emiliano Martinez stirred up tension with France ahead of Aston Villa’s trip to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals by wearing a custom cap displaying Argentina’s recent international trophies.

Martinez was dubbed a “specialist in provocation” by French newspaper L’Equipe following the goalkeeper’s antics in Argentina’s victory over Les Blues in the 2022 World Cup final.

Martinez played mind games with France players during the penalty shoot-out and was involved in the taunting of Kylian Mbappe during Argentina’s World Cup trophy celebrations. The 30-year-old also made a vulgar gesture upon receiving the Golden Glove award at the World Cup final.

He is expected to receive a hostile reception when Aston Villa face PSG in the Parc des Princes - and arrived in Paris wearing a baseball cap with an emblem of the World Cup, two Copa Americas and the Finalissima covering the French cockerel.

Unai Emery, who is returning to the Parc des Princes for the first time since his two-year spell in charge of PSG, said he is not concerned about Martinez’s behavior during the quarter-final first leg and called the goalkeeper “mature” and “responsible”.

Martinez was also involved in “dark arts” as Aston Villa played French side Lille in the Europa Conference League last season, where he baited the French crowd by shushing them and saved two penalties as Villa reached the semi-finals.

Emiliano Martinez performed some inflammatory actions in the World Cup final (Nick Potts/PA)

“He is mature, he is responsible, he is getting better at controlling his emotions,” Emery said in Paris.

“When he arrived at Aston Villa five or six years ago and now it is different.

“He is more mature, he is a better player and goalkeeper. Now my conversation with him is always the same: ‘Focus on football and your individual challenge and you have and try to control the emotion it is bringing to you’.

“Of course Emiliano Martinez is a very important player for us, he is one of the best players in the world, the best goalkeeper in the world, he got the award for it in Paris.

“Football is to understand the supporters, to understand how you are helping your team. Every player, coaches, supporters, we have to try and understand to be respectful.

“I think it is only football, and tomorrow we are going to face PSG playing football. Their supporters are going to support them and hopefully being respectful.”

Martinez’s team-mate Youri Tielemans was nonplussed by Martinez’s pre-match theatrics.

“I don’t really care, I’m here to play the game, whatever happens with Emi as long as it happens respectfully in football terms then I don’t mind,” he said.

“I have got no idea (about the cap), to be honest. I don’t know, that’s probably his style, but the only thing I can say is that he’s ready for the game tomorrow, and he’s not spoken any differently than for any other game. I think he’s focused and he’s looking forward.”