Unai Emery insisted Emiliano Martínez will handle the heat in Aston Villa’s Champions League quarter-final at the Parc des Princes, after the Argentina goalkeeper riled Paris Saint-Germain by wearing a cap showing off his World Cup triumph over France and appearing to feature a rooster, a national symbol.
Martínez, who trained with the Argentina flag dyed into his hair, was the pantomime villain when his penalty shootout save and mind games helped his country to victory in in 2022. Martínez was heavily jeered and booked twice in Lille in a memorable Europa Conference League victory 12 months ago, his first game in France since those Qatar antics. The Villa manager said Martínez, whom he first worked with at Arsenal, has matured and learnt to control his emotions.
Asked about Martínez’s choice of headgear, Emery said: “He is mature. He is responsible. He is getting better at controlling his emotions. I think [compared with] when he arrived at Aston Villa five years ago and now is a different Emiliano. I think he is more mature, he is a better player, a better goalkeeper and now my conversation with him is always the same. Now focus on football, focus on individual challenges you have and try to manage as well everything you are achieving and the levels you are breaking. Try to control the emotions it brings you.”
Emery returns to PSG on Wednesday for the first time since departing the Ligue 1 champions in 2018. The Villa manager faces a series of selection decisions, including whether to start on-loan Marco Asensio against his parent club. Emery, who made eight changes to his lineup against Nottingham Forest with this game in mind, must also decide whether to start Ollie Watkins or Marcus Rashford in attack.
“He is a good guy, he’s humble, a very good professional,” Emery said. “I think he is really happy with his teammates, he is being demanding of himself. He is playing free, comfortable and this is the most important. There is still work to do, there is still a process to do but the most important thing is how he is feeling. We are seeing him smiling and that is the best news we can have.”
