In two years, Emiliano Martinez has become one of the best enemies of French football. Since the 2022 World Cup final won by Argentina at the expense of the Blues, the Albiceleste goalkeeper has increased his provocations against France. Whether in selection or club. So he made headlines when he faced Lille with Aston Villa in the Europa League last season.
Enough to give rise to an intense rivalry between the two nations, which was seen again this summer in Paris, during the Olympic quarter-final between the Bleuets of Thierry Henry and the Argentine U23s. While a few weeks earlier Enzo Fernandez and the winners of the Copa America had launched a racist chant against the French, the young French shoots took revenge by eliminating the South Americans from the Games.
Emiliano Martinez criticizes the Bleuets
And when it was time to celebrate their victory, at the end of a tense match, the Bleuets came to challenge the Argentinians with vigor. A behavior that “Dibu” today has the nerve to denounce in an interview given to France Football. “Some speak of arrogance or bad behavior (of the Argentines). What people say about me doesn’t matter to me. When Argentinians do something, it’s necessarily horrible…”he said.
“Enzo Fernandez is a charming guy, he has been called racist, but he is not racist at all. I have no hatred towards France. The French are lovely people. (…) They are just rivals for us because they are good. On the other hand, I didn’t like what happened at the Olympic Games.”adds the world champion, who was not one of the players selected by Javier Mascherano for Paris 2024.
“We need respect between professionals”
“The French celebrated in front of our noses, kicked us and called us arroganthe explains.
There was anger in them. The supporters pay their ticket, they can do what they want, but the players have crossed the line. There must be respect between professionals. » Advice that he would also do well to follow, because his behavior over the past two years has in no way calmed the situation.
