Lille President criticizes Martinez’s conduct after penalty drama

LILLE president Olivier Letang expressed disappointment with Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s behaviour, deeming it unsuitable for a player of his stature, after the Argentine international secured his club’s spot in the Europa Conference League semitive finals.

Martinez’s heroics in the penalty shootout, where he saved penalties from Nabil Bentaleb and Lille captain Benjamin Andre, propelled Villa to a 4-3 victory after the tie ended 3-3 over two legs.

Throughout the match, Martinez faced a hostile reception from Lille fans, stemming from his provocacelebrations following Argentina’s victory over France in the 2022 World Cup final. His actions during the shootout, including shushing the crowd and attempting to unsettle kicktakers, further fueled the animosity.

“I don’t want to dwell on this player who displays an attitude unbecoming of a top-level athlete,” remarked Letang. “In both victory and defeat, composure and grace are essential. Instead, let us focus on our own positives.”

Despite Lille’s strong performance, highlighted by goals from Yusuf Yazici and Andre, Matty Cash’s late equalizer forced the tie into extra time and ultimately a penalty shootout.

Jonathan David, one of Lille’s successful penalty takers, acknowledged Martinez’s attempts to disrupt their focus but remained undeterred.

“Martinez tends to employ distracting tactics, as we saw with his actions before the first penalty,” explained the Canadian forward.

“However, I remained focused on my execution and blocked out the distractions.”

The confusion arose when Martinez, who had been booked in the first half, was shown a yellow card midway through the shootout. Although there was concern that he might be sent off, a rule change from previous seasons dictates that yellow cards do not carry over into a penalty shootout.

Villa coach Unai Emery emphasized Martinez’s experience and maturity in handling the situation but acknowledged the challenging environment.