Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been handed a UEFA ban after his penalty shootout antics despite not being given a red card.
The Midlands outfit revealed that the keeper is out of their Europa Conference League semi-final's first leg due to a one-match suspension. The Argentine shot-stopper once again attracted attention as the Premier League side progressed to the semi-finals in a highly dramatic clash against Lille. Unai Emery's squad held a 2-1 advantage heading into France, but they needed a late goal from Matty Cash to drag the match into extra-time after conceding twin strikes.
It was Martinez, who has often been public enemy number one, who got the final word during the subsequent penalties. His actions in the 2022 World Cup final shoot-out victory of Argentina over France made him a target for considerable jeering throughout the game. Yet these distractions didn't phase him, as he stirred up the environment, much to the displeasure of a furious home crowd. Despite receiving a yellow card due to time-wasting previously in the match, Martinez successfully goaded the spectators post saving Nabil Bentaleb's spot-kick.
Though he was then issued another yellow card, confusion ensued as he stayed in place for the remaining spot kicks. The clarification came later - yellow cards are wiped clean before a penalty shoot-out, thus he did not face a red card, reports the Mirror.
As per the rules set by IFAB law 10 (determining the outcome of a match), it reaffirms: "Warnings and cautions (YCs) issued during the match (including during extra time) are not carried forward into kicks from the penalty mark (KFPM). A player who receives a YC during both the match and the KFPM is not sent off."
Following this, Martinez took full advantage of his temporary reprieve to save yet another penalty for Lille. This crucial move has now catapulted Villa into their first European semi-final since 1982.
Their next rivalry will be against Olympiacos for a coveted spot in the Athens final. However, Martinez will not make an appearance in the opening leg at Villa Park.
The Premier League club made it clear that despite the second yellow card not being translated into a red, it did result in an automatic one-match suspension due to accumulation over the two legs. In light of this development, Robin Olsen will fill in for him in the West Midlands, with Unai Emery's team remaining hot favourites to scoop the win.
After the game, Martinez didn't mince words when criticising the referee. He confessed that he was unclear about the rules: "I've just got a bad reputation for time wasting because the other goalie was doing the same thing. But I get booked after 30 minutes when we're losing the game. I don't know what the ref wants from me."
"Then there was no ball on the penalty spot [in the shootout] so I asked the ball-boy for a ball, and then I get booked! I just don't understand the rules."
Emery, on the other hand, lavished praise on his goalkeeper, hailing his performance as vital to their success. "He is very important for us. He has his personality and his personality in the dressing room is very important because he is a leader with his experiences. He has a really brilliant mentality."
Villa are set to play Olympiacos at home on May 2, before heading to Greece the following week. They're vying for a spot in the final where they'll face either Club Brugge or Fiorentina, who are competing in the other semi-final.
