New York: Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said he wants his teammates to take the spotlight ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain, playing down his own role in the team’s bid for back-to-back titles.
“I don’t want to be making the headlines,” the 33-year-old was quoted by Xinhua as saying. “I want my teammates and the manager to trust me. That’s more important to me than making the headlines. I want my teammates to be the stars. Goalkeepers are the only ones who don’t need to score goals. They don’t have to be the protagonist. But if they need me, I will be there to help them, and if not, I will celebrate exactly the same way.”
Martinez has played through pain for much of the tournament after fracturing a bone in the ring finger of his right hand while warming up for Aston Villa ahead of the club’s UEFA Europa League final win over Freiburg on May 20. He returned to training with Argentina’s squad in Kansas City on June 12, days before the team’s tournament opener against Algeria.
“It still hurts,” he said. “I knew it was going to hurt, I tried to avoid surgery. I consulted a great number of hand specialists in England, the United States and other countries. They said I’d have to undergo surgery. They told me I couldn’t even train. After the Egypt game [in the round of 16] I could start training normally, and now I feel much better.”
Martinez said he had drawn on the experience of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph over France on penalties to stay composed under pressure this time.
“In that final we were totally superior to France for 90 minutes,” he said. “But I let in three goals [in the 120 minutes], and when that happens you are usually out of the tournament. I can concede goals, but in the next play I am the same player as always. I try not to let the pressure get to me.”
The former Arsenal player said he felt at ease heading into the clash against the reigning European champion.
“To be honest, I feel really calm. It’s my second time,” he said. “Many people think good goalkeepers need to make great saves. It goes beyond that. It’s your positioning, moving your line higher, being composed. My teammates are so good on the ball that they see calmness and safety when they look back, so that they can go forward with confidence.”
On Sunday’s opponents, Martinez said Spain’s threat went beyond teenage forward Lamine Yamal.
“Spain has a great team. I know many of them, because many play in the Premier League,” he said. “It’s not just Lamine. They have players who work for the team. They are in the final for a reason. They have their strengths, but so do we. I hope it’s a final that goes down in history for the fans.”
(IANS)
