"I closed my eyes and just asked for the ball to hit me, from my side in the face" - Voila! sport

On video: World Cup championship celebrations in Argentina (Photo: Reuters)

The round of interviews of the players of the Argentina national team continues, and today (Thursday) it was the turn of the FIFA goalkeeper of the year, who received the award three days ago: Emiliano "Divo" Martinez. In a conversation with "TyC", the world champion addressed the controversy sparked by his friend Rodrigo de Paul the other day , to the historic relegation in extra time of the final against France and also to the celebration movement with the Golden Glove after the win, for which he received criticism from all over the world. As you remember, de

Paul said in an interview with the same media that he thinks the current Argentina team is the best the country has ever had. Since then, they have been published on social networks and websites The reactions of the Argentine world champions from 1978 and 1986, who didn't exactly like it. "These are opinions.

It's clear that Rudy didn't want to hurt anyone and he didn't do it out of ego," Martins defended his teammate, before clarifying his personal position: "I don't think we're the best in history."

The reasoning given by de Paul was that the current Argentina beat three reigning champions in the finals that gave them the three titles in the Lionel Scalloni era: Brazil (Copa America), Italy (Finalissima) and France (World Cup).

"It's not a small thing, but we still have a lot of things to do," added Martins in the same matter.

"The difference between us and previous teams is that we had the luck to win. In the World Cup, too, we won two games on penalties. It's not that we played 'tiki taka' and lost 0:3 in every game. If we win again, only then maybe I'll say we're the best ever."

He was stingy.

Martins at the FIFA Awards of the Year (Photo: Reuters)

On being crowned the best goalkeeper in the world for 2022, at The Best awards ceremony this week, the man between the bars of Aston Villa said: "I did not expect this. I laughed with Leo (Messi) and told him 'I will go and I will be happy to see you and Scalloni win, at most I won a free meal '".

Martins, whose celebration when he was chosen as the best goalkeeper in the World Cup angered many, explained: "I'm not proud of it, obviously, but it was an intervention that just before the awarding of the Golden Glove the guys told me, 'You don't have the courage to do the same thing as in the Copa America.' I answered, 'Indeed, I have courage'. They are to blame, my teammates."

When asked if he would have done so on the evening of the FIFA Awards of the Year, the Argentine clarified: "It's a different event, with a suit.

In a football stadium, with all the adrenaline, maybe yes.

My only goal was not to cry."

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Martins and the problematic celebration (Photo: Reuters)

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Regarding the move in the 123rd minute, in which he deflected a kick from Randall Kolo Muani and prevented Argentina from a dramatic loss in the World Cup final, Martinez said: "I didn't understand the value of it because everything happened so quickly, I remember we went on a burst in the last attack, with Lautro Martinez's chance to score With a shot. I wouldn't have been able to evaluate the throw the way I did after the victory. That's the first thing they saw. I wanted the ball to hit me in the face, I didn't care where. I closed my eyes, stiffened my whole body and said 'hit me, that's all I'm asking'" .

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