For his reunion with French football, sixteen months after the World Cup final, Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez once again made his mark during the quarter-final of the Europa Conference League between Lille and Aston Villa (1-2, 2-1, 3-4 on penalties). Chambered throughout the match by the northern public, the Villans goalkeeper responded by putting his finger to his lips after stopping Nabil Bentaleb's attempt during the penalty shootout.
Referee Ivan Kruzliak then sanctioned him with a yellow card… before immediately canceling it. And for good reason, Martinez had already received a warning during normal time, for saving time from the 39th minute. This second yellow card would therefore have led to his expulsion. Except that, according to the regulations, cards received during the match cannot be combined with the sanctions issued during penalties.
“The penalty shootout is
outside the match
. However, a player can be warned twice during the session and be sent off. He may also receive a direct red card,” specifies Ifab, the body which governs the rules of football. Martinez was therefore able to finish the match. And stop Benjamin André's last attempt, to bury Lille's hopes.