Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was met with a chorus of boos, as anticipated, when he stepped onto the pitch for his side’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
As the Argentina goalkeeper began his pre-match warm-up, the Auteuil section of Parc des Princes erupted with jeers, whistles and a flurry of insults directed his way.
Martinez did not respond and calmly began stretching.
Martinez was the goalkeeper for Argentina when they defeated France in a penalty shootout in the 2022 World Cup final.
He stood out for his shot-stopping ability but garnered even more attention afterward.
He crudely brandished the Golden Glove trophy he received as the tournament’s best goalkeeper and was filmed mocking France forward Kylian Mbappe in the team locker room after the game.
Martinez didn’t stop there.
During an open-top bus parade back home to celebrate the victory, he carried a doll with Mbappe’s face on it. This was seen as highly disrespectful by the French team and their fans.
On Tuesday, he arrived in Paris wearing a cap that appeared to display a rooster – a French national emblem – along with the trophies he has won with Argentina.
He made an early save in Wednesday’s game, leaping to his right to deny Ousmane Dembele’s angled half-volley.