Emiliano Martinez may get lots of love from Argentina and Aston Villa fans, but that’s usually all the affection he’ll see on football pitches.
The goalkeeper is used to taking abuse from rival supporters everywhere, and that’s what he was probably expecting when visiting Bolivia for a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
Quoted by TyC Sports, the Aston Villa goalkeeper revealed he was caught by surprise with the pleasent welcome in La Paz, and was happy about that.
“Normally they don’t like me much outside of Argentina, but today I was surprised by the Bolivian people who chanted my name and I have a lot of respect for this country,” said Martinez.
“I already knew what I was going to expect, I watched many national team matches here and shots from outside the box were always complicated, so I had a lot of respect for them.”
Following the World Cup title in December, the goalkeeper said he’s proud of how the squad continues to behave, as they promise to deliver more in the upcoming tournaments.
“There is hunger. The captain himself could have gone home but he accompanied us, that for us is a pride that he continues to feel, continues showing love and accompanies us in that sense. I am proud to be behind these guys.”
Martinez is now heading back to England, where Aston Villa are already preparing for the clash against Crystal Palace at Villa Park on Saturday.
