Martínez: I Don’t Show Off or Cross the Line… My Goal is Always to Win

Due to superstitions, Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez decided before the start of this season to change his jersey number from 1 to 23 after realizing that this number, which corresponds to the day his six-year-old son was born, has brought him great luck. Martínez says, “I played with this number and won four titles with the Argentina national team, including the Copa América this summer.”

Another superstition involves a pair of animal-shaped toys that his wife Mandinha gave him before the last World Cup in Qatar, one shaped like a penguin and the other like a giraffe, which their three-year-old daughter Ava used to play with, so Martínez kept them in the locker room alongside a picture of his children. Martínez, who covers his shin guards with pictures of his family and important moments from his football career, says, “I keep this charm with me everywhere I go. It gives me some motivation before every game. Mandinha told me that I would come back with the cup. I was away from my family for 40 days, and I indeed came back with the cup.”

Martínez has a controversial personality that makes him the number one enemy of his opponents on the field, or at least that’s the preconceived notion many have of him. Certainly, the greatest moment of Martínez’s football career is his stunning save in the final seconds of extra time against France in the World Cup final in Qatar, denying Randal Kolo Muani from scoring the winning goal for the French. Then there was his penalty save against Kingsley Coman and the mind games he played against Aurélien Tchouaméni, who missed the subsequent penalty.

Martínez insists that he does not plan any mind games against his opponents. He says, “I think it happens naturally; I don’t think about it; it’s something that happens in the moment. It’s normal; sometimes you get very excited, and you can’t control your emotions. I’m not looking for it; it just comes naturally. Sometimes when you see me from the outside, you might think I’m someone who loves to show off, but I’m not like that; I’m just a regular guy, a family man. But when it comes to winning, I try to do everything I can to win the games.”

So, does Martínez feel misunderstood? The Argentine international goalkeeper responds, “Yes, exactly. People who think I’m a show-off are the opponents who don’t really know me. But when you ask all my teammates, in the club and the national team, they will tell you that I do everything for my team, and I try to help everyone in the club. The only thing I want is the best for the club and my country, and that’s all I care about.”

In other words, the player wants to win at any cost, although it’s hard to believe when he claims he never tries to provoke the fans! Martínez says, “Everyone acts in their own way. I never try to provoke the fans; I never do that. I just try to do some things that help us when things aren’t going our way; for example, I try to kick the ball as hard as I can to the other side of the field.”

He adds, “But if you stay consistent and don’t insult anyone or any religion, I think you can do whatever you want. I never insult anyone; I just try to help my team, and that’s all there is to it. I always respect the players and only aim to win, and I never cross the line.”

After saving two penalties against Ecuador in the Copa América last July, Martínez once again celebrated in the same controversial manner that he did at Lille’s stadium after Aston Villa’s Europa Conference League quarter-final match, for which he received two yellow cards, the second during the penalty shootout. However, he avoided a red card due to slight changes in UEFA’s rules.