Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez says Frenchman Aurélien Tchouameni seemed “very nervous” before missing his penalty in the 2022 World Cup final.
The final in Qatar ended in a 3-3 draw after extra time and Argentina won 4-2 on penalties. Martinez saved Bayern Munich star Kingsley Coman’s attempt before Tchouameni missed his shot on goal, leaving Gonzalo Montiel to score the winning penalty and secure his country’s third world championship title. Today, Villa goalkeeper Martinez spoke about his confrontation with Tchouameni, then 22, during the penalty shootout.
” A kid “
“ Look at the look on this kid’s face (Tchouameni), tell me he’s not nervous, I saw he was dead in front of the goal. And I told myself that if he missed, they were half a step away and we were champions. And he was looking up, he was looking at people, he was very nervous, and I had trained with my psychologist, if I managed to save one, the next one I would make his life impossible. And if I went to the goal, I saved it, it was mine, I had taken a very good shot, and if I touched it, I took it out“Martinez told Star+.
The 31-year-old also spoke about his training to save Coman’s penalty, which he managed to do.
“I stayed calm because I knew that by stopping the shot I was going to put them under pressure, that was the key. Besides, I missed my stop, I didn’t stop it with my hands, I pushed it with my chest and it passed through my hands.”he added.
