After guiding Argentina to success, Emiliano Martinez headed straight into a twisty off-piste. The goalkeeper was close to the limits during the tournament, but since the Albiceleste victory on penalties against France, he is unstoppable. No sooner had he received his award for best goalkeeper of the tournament than the Aston Villa goalkeeper already mimicked an obscene gesture with the trophy. He then embarks on a long series of skids.
The Mar del Plata native called for “a minute’s silence for Mbappé” during the celebrations in his team’s locker room. A common room in a football locker room, but the 30-year-old player then carried a doll bearing the image of the Blues striker during the Argentinian parade in Buenos Aires. Rebelote, he repeats his signature gesture with the toy, while fans burn a fake coffin on which the head of the PSG crack is taped.
Snowball effect, the obsession of the goalkeeper for the French leads the Argentinian supporters to excesses and the chief provocateur seems to feed on this atmosphere. “When you have great emotions, it’s sometimes difficult to control them,” confirmed Unai Emery, his coach at Aston Villa, invited to react to his foal’s provocations. In Birmingham, a slight reframing is likely to be necessary: ”I will speak to him next week about certain celebrations”, engaged the Spanish technician, nevertheless “very proud of him” for the final victory.
The former PSG coach has prescribed a few days of rest for Emiliano Martinez, just to bring the temperature down. Other sports players are also indignant. “Fifa must take its responsibilities and call to order so that it doesn’t happen again”, judged Hervé Renard on RTL, about the Argentine mockery.
Le Graët wrote to the Argentine federation
“Clearly, there were inappropriate remarks, grimaced Amélie Oudéa-Castéra on the same waves this Friday. I reacted immediately when there were racist attacks against some of our players among Argentinian fans. I also saw the little mockery moved towards Aurélien Tchouaméni. It’s just vulgar, inappropriate and not up to the challenge. »
Microphone in hand on the stage erected Thursday in his city of Mar del Plata, Martinez indeed taunted the middle of Real Madrid for his missed shot on goal: “He shit himself on it. “Many false supporters had not waited for this release to pour floods of racist insults on the social networks of certain Blues players.
Noël Le Graët wrote to his “counterpart of the Argentine Federation”, as he revealed to Ouest-France. “I find these excesses abnormal, in the context of a sports competition, and I find it difficult to understand. This is going too far. Mbappé’s behavior was exemplary. »
Contacted, the Argentine federation did not respond. At FIFA, radio silence also. The disciplinary code of the governing body of football says to punish with “at least one match or an appropriate duration”, “unsportsmanlike behavior against an opponent” and “at least two matches” any provocation towards spectators. These penalties also apply if the fouls are “committed off the field”.
“When children imitate this…”
Fifa had opened proceedings against Argentina following the spicy quarter-final against the Netherlands. Fifteen yellow cards were handed out, Dutchman Dumfries sent off, and Martinez called referee Mateu Lahoz “useless”. The goalkeeper’s flights therefore do not date from the final. “It’s true that I sometimes behaved… When behind the children imitate that…”, he lamented to the Clarin media before the tournament.
Remember all the same that “Dibu”, however irritated by Mbappé’s comments on the level of South American football, was one of the first to send a gesture of comfort to the Bondynois at the end of the final. The Villans doorman did not invent trashtalking either. Last July, Frenchies Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez had to pay 4,000 euros to the Italian FA for insulting rivals Inter during the Milan title celebrations.
In 2019, UEFA demanded 20,000 euros from Cristiano Ronaldo for a gesture of the same magnitude as that of Martinez after a goal in the Champions League. In France, former OM defender Taye Taiwo was suspended for one match and fined 20,000 euros for an anti-PSG song following Marseille’s victory in the Coupe de la Ligue final. 2011. Football has always drawn its share of ridicule. It remains to be seen whether “Dibu” will calm down before being overtaken by the patrol.