“The players went beyond the limits”

Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez, Argentina goalkeeper hated by a large part of the French public since the 2022 World Cup final, believes that French animosity against Argentina crossed the limits during the last Olympics.

For the second year in a row, Emiliano Martinez (32) won the Yachine trophy for the best goalkeeper in the world during the last Ballon d'Or ceremony. In an interview with France Football, the Aston Villa player details his pre-match rituals and the recipes that have allowed him to become the current reference in goals. He also inevitably spoke out about his provocations which made him both famous but also hated by many followers, including a very large majority of the French public.

“The French are lovely people but I didn’t like what happened at the Olympics”

His crude and repeated celebrations after the world title against France earned him fierce enmity which often extended to the Argentine selection. This was again the case last summer when his partner Enzo Fernandez broadcast a video featuring a racist chant against the French, during the Copa America celebrations. The extract caused a wave of indignation in France which continued during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It even generated a very hostile climate on the field during the confrontation of the two teams in the quarter-finals.

“Some people talk about arrogance or bad behavior,” Martinez says. “I don't care what people say about me. When Argentinians do something, it's obviously horrible… Enzo Fernandez is a charming guy, he's been called a racist, but he's not. is not at all. I have no hatred towards France. The French are lovely people (…) They are just rivals for us because they are good. 'it happened at the Olympics.'

“The French celebrated in front of our noses, kicked us and called us arrogant,” he says. “There was anger within them. The fans pay their ticket, they can do what they want, but the players went overboard. There needs to be respect between professionals.” Martinez was not selected for the competition even though he wanted to be. But he obviously experienced these events as if he were there.