Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez faced a painful setback before the Europa League final, as he broke his finger during the warm-up. Despite the injury, he went on to play the entire match and helped his team secure their first trophy in 30 years with a 3-0 victory over Freiburg in Istanbul on Wednesday night.
The match was highlighted by stunning goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia, with Morgan Rogers adding the third goal just before the hour mark. The win was a significant achievement for Villa, especially considering Martinez’s injury, which could have jeopardized the game. However, the goalkeeper managed to keep a clean sheet, making crucial saves against Freiburg’s two shots on target.
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Martinez showed incredible determination before the match, as it was evident he had hurt his hand during the warm-up. He received medical attention from Villa’s goalkeeping coach and physio, but there was no indication that the injury was as severe as a broken finger.
The World Cup winner did not let the pain affect his performance, staying focused and delivering a strong display. After the game, he celebrated enthusiastically, lifting manager Unai Emery onto his shoulders and diving into the crowd to join the traveling fans.
Martinez reflected on the injury, saying: “Should I be worried? Well, I’ve never had a broken finger before. Every time I caught the ball, it went the other way. But these are things you have to go through, and I’m proud to defend Aston Villa.”
Emery, who has now won the Europa League five times with three different clubs, shifted his focus to the future of Aston Villa. He emphasized the club’s growth both domestically and in Europe, stating: “I am myself ambitious and of course I need support. The owners, everyone that works in the club. The players, and they are following us. We are doing it together. But we must try to set this ambitious, being clear and realistic. Every step forward we are doing makes sense.”
He also spoke about the club’s development plans, including expanding the stadium by 10,000 seats and upgrading the training centre. Emery added: “Next year we will play in the Champions League and this is the challenge. The Premier League is the most difficult league in the world. To be fighting top seven, top five, top four is something very difficult. Hopefully we can be close with teams like City and Arsenal. Congratulations to them for this title.”
Emery acknowledged the challenges ahead, explaining: “It’s a huge challenge we have in Premier League. Why? In the beginning we are not contenders for top seven. There are top seven teams. Top six, and Newcastle is the seventh. And we are trying to get there. To try to be consistent there. We are achieving it. But of course to keep it is our challenge. And then, being there we are in Europe.”
He also highlighted the importance of the recent trophy win, saying: “Getting this trophy we are adding experiences for us. And those experiences for the players are important. Because as well we can play next year trying as well to be in contention for trophies. Last year with the FA Cup and Champions League semis and quarter finals, we lost – experience for us. But we lost this match because we deserved it, because we didn’t deserve more against Crystal Palace. Today, I was ready to win, I was ready to lose. Experience for us. Of course, winning is better.”
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