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.
