Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez’s heroics in the penalty shootout against Ecuador has helped Argentina seal a berth in the Copa América semi-final.
Gonzalo Goñi has been representing the 31-year-old since he was 12 years old, and after his client’s impressive performance against Ecuador, he had a chat with ESPN.
The Aston Villa star won the previous edition of the Copa América and also the World Cup with La Albiceleste.
Martínez arrived in England when Arsenal signed him from Club Atlético Independiente in 2010. He wasn’t given opportunities there and was sent out on loan on several occasions.
The Argentina international eventually left the Gunners for Aston Villa in 2020. He’s been a regular at Villa Park since then and his performances for the Villans have helped him cement a place in the national team.
“Today he is in one of the best projects, he has one of the best sporting directors in the world, one of the most prestigious coaches in the world, they have qualified for the Champions League, when nobody thought it was possible,” he said.
“Surely, they will compete in the Champions League and, with a goalkeeper like Emiliano, who turns everything into a box of surprises, they’ll end up competing on a grand scale.
“But it’s never all said and done: we are having conversations, listening, watching and we’ll see… But perhaps, he puts Aston Villa at the level of the greats of Europe.”
The representative also spoke to DSports, where he explained that he’s unsure whether Martínez will continue at Aston Villa next season.
“We don’t know if he’s going to stay at Aston Villa, the club want him to stay at all costs, it is the most important project. They have a goalkeeper who wins games, we are in talks,” Goñi explained.
