Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been on the wind up again ahead of his club's Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
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Villa and PSG meet in UCL quarter-finalsMartinez teased fans by wearing World Cup capTielemans calls for calm ahead of matchFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Martinez and Villa head to the French capital for their first leg clash with PSG in the Champions League and the Argentina international could not help but have a dig at Les Bleus fans ahead of the match. The 32-year-old was spotted sporting a World Cup winners cap when boarding the flight across the channel, bringing back painful memories for France fans of the final defeat to Argentina at Qatar 2022.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The moment has not gone down well with the PSG ultras and will only raise the stakes when the players step onto the pitch at the Parc des Princes – particularly after club legend Bernard Lama's comments about the stopper. Martinez is known to enjoy winding up opposition fans and players and will likely take the added hostility in his stride ahead of the match.
WHAT TIELEMANS SAID
Villa team-mate Youri Tielemans has attempted to calm the situation and admits he has no problem if the PSG fans want to take aim at Martinez, as long as it does not cross the line. He said: "It's probably his style. All I can say is that he is ready for the game and he hasn't spoken anything differently. He's looking forward to it. I don't care [about the reception he gets]. Whatever happens with Emi, as long as it stays in football terms, I don't mind."
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MARTINEZ?
Martinez has dealt with pressure on the biggest stage already in his career but can make more history, this time for his club. Villa are eyeing a place in the Champions League semi-finals, but will face a huge test against heavily favoured PSG, who have already dumped pending Premier League champions Liverpool out.
