With Lille preparing to face Aston Villa in the Conference League this week, L’Equipe have been keen to profile the club… and one man stands out.
Emiliano Martinez promotes mixed feelings in the country since the World Cup final in 2022, when Argentina won the title with him being one of the heroes.
As many French fans saw him again against Lille, L’Equipe features a profile with quotes from the agent of an unnamed Aston Villa player.
They wanted to know how Martinez is really thought of at Villa, and perhaps got a reply they didn’t really desire.
“Emi is ultra-respected in the locker room, some of his teammates consider him one of the five best in the world in his position,” said the agent.
The goalkeeper – who managed to annoy nearly the entirety of France – had already stepped up when winning a Copa America with Argentina, and the World Cup title ended up bringing him to a new level at the national team, where he’ll soon be considered one of their legends.
A big title for Aston Villa is still missing, though, and perhaps the Conference League would be a great chance to achieve that. He just probably can’t count on the support from those French fans.