Argentina’s number one, Emiliano Martinez, broke his finger ahead of the Europa League final against Freiburg, but opted not to have surgery so that he could take part in the World Cup. A decision with painful consequences.
In mid-May, Aston Villa won the Europa League final 3–0 against SC Freiburg in Istanbul. Despite the celebrations with the trophy, however, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has painful memories of that day. The Argentine broke the ring finger on his right hand whilst warming up shortly before kick-off in the final, but played on regardless.
To ensure he didn’t miss the subsequent World Cup, he also decided against having an operation; otherwise, he would probably not have been able to play in North America. However, this decision had far-reaching consequences. “I cried every night until midnight because my finger looked like a blood sausage,” Martinez vividly described in a YouTube interview. He had also complained of pain during the World Cup.
Martinez: “I’d do it all again”
Another consequence of refusing the operation: according to Martinez, his finger can no longer be restored to the condition it was in before the match against Freiburg. “Those are the risks you take for the national team. ‘I’d do it all again,’ said the 34-year-old, showing no regrets. He didn’t miss a single minute at the World Cup – though Argentina failed to defend their title.
After the tournament, Martinez moved from the Villans to Chelsea FC. At the moment, however, he is not between the posts for the London club due to an injury which, unlike a broken finger, really does rule him out of action. Just under two weeks ago, Martinez suffered a broken jaw in a collision with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite – and this time, too, he did not shy away from the necessary surgery.