Emi Martinez triggered the controversy before the UEFA Champions League conflict of Aston Villa against PSG by referring to the defeat of the World Cup in 2022 of France. The Argentinian goalkeeper was hué throughout the match while Villa fell 3-1 in Paris.
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The return of Aston Villa to the UEFA Champions League was always going to be a difficult matter, especially against a team from Paris Saint-Germain, eliminating Liverpool. But the pre-match clitgets of the goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez added an additional layer of fire to an already heated quarter-finals.
Villa went to the Parc des Princes for the first stage of their quarter-final of the Champions League on Wednesday, and although the 3-1 defeat was difficult, it was Emi Martinez who made the front page of the pre-match newspapers, for all the bad reasons in the eyes of PSG and French fans.
Martinez’s cap stretches the controversy
Upon his arrival in Paris, Martinez was seen by carrying a cap with the flag of Argentina and four international trophies which he won with the national team, including the World Cup and two Copa Americas. The CAP also included an emblem of the French rooster.
The image, shared on the official social media of Aston Villa, was considered a direct mockery to the sorrow of the French World Cup in 2022, a match in which Martinez played a key role with the gloves.
Dibu 💯 pic.twitter.com/7vbuy9kgnd
– Aston Villa (@AvfCofficial) April 8, 2025
French media and fans have not kindly taken the gesture. The memories of the infamous martinez mbappe mbappe and France after the FIFA World Cup final 2022 still seem fresh, including its gesture with the Golden Glove Award and the sad baby doll with Mbappe’s face during the Argentina celebration parade.
Martinez Hué by French fans
As expected, Martinez was welcomed with hoots from the moment when he got out of the tunnel at the Parc des Princes. Field performance has also not helped Martinez. The Argentinian was beaten three times convincingly by PSG attackers while Villa lost 3-1.
Despite the media storm, the director of Aston Villa Unai Emery came to the defense of Martinez. “He is mature. He is responsible. He improves to control his emotions. He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world – he received the prize here in Paris.”
The midfielder, Youri Tielemans, also discussed the situation before the PSG shock, minimizing the CAP incident and calling fans to maintain criticism within the limits. “As long as it remains in terms of football, I don’t mind. He is focused and he is looking forward to the match,” he said.
