“Miraculous” – Manager recalls key moment from Aston Villa star, ‘didn’t seem that obvious’ when it happened

Not just the Argentine press consistently highlights Emiliano Martínez’s outstanding performance during their World Cup championship campaign.

Lionel Scaloni, the manager of the national team, is interviewed by France Football today. The Aston Villa goalkeeper is once again recalled for a particular play.

That’s the save in extra time against France’s Kolo Muani, a player whose performance could have decided the entire match.

The head of Argentina says it took him some time to realize that at the time and that he didn’t really believe it was a major concern.

“Honestly, I don’t remember Dibu saving from Kolo Muani very wel. Obviously, I saw it as a great opportunity for France, but it didn’t seem that obvious to me at the time. Afterwards, when I saw it again, of course it seemed miraculous.

“But during the match, I didn’t have that feeling at all. What’s more, we had a counter-attack at the back where Lautaro had the chance to score. That’s something I remember more, because we’re not far from going back in front,” said Lionel Scaloni.

Scaloni also claimed that the Aston Villa star is a very important piece in their dressing room.

“In goal, Dibu is someone who shines, who transmits his optimism to others (…) In those moments, you have the impression that he becomes bigger, more imposing and that the goal shrinks. It’s a huge plus for the team, a real luxury to have him.

“After that, he was able to use what he’d learnt on the portero, in his neighbourhood, to try and distract his opponents, while respecting the rules. Thanks to him, our shooters were able to face the French goalkeeper with confidence.”

Dibu Martinez was already receiving a lot of praise from the national team in the years leading up to the World Cup, and the victory in Qatar only cemented his place among the team’s all-time greats. The Aston Villa goalkeeper is still frequently mentioned in interviews regarding that campaign, and his status has changed significantly since he joined the Villa park side back in 2020.