Lille’s president, Olivier Letang, has slammed one Aston Villa player after Unai Emery’s side’s dramatic shootout victory on Thursday evening.
On a night when Villa were far from their best, Emi Martinez was the hero, saving two spot kicks to send the Premier League side through to the last four of the Europa Conference League.
Paulo Fonseca’s men struck first as Yusuf Yazıcı finished smartly in the first half. Benjamin Andre doubled the hosts lead before Matty Cash sent the tie to extra time in the 87th minute.
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Despite chances for both sides in extra time, neither team could find a winner.
As the tie moved into a penalty shootout, it’s fair to say Martinez was revelling in the hostile atmosphere.
Why did the Lille president rage at Aston Villa star Emi Martinez?
Martinez took gamesmanship to a new level on Thursday evening. Delaying penalties, orchestrating the crowd, and eventually being booked are just some of the things the £20million signing got up to.
Clearly, the goalkeeper’s antics did the job, and in a game with such fine margins, that’s precisely what was required.
Lille president, Letang, was far from impressed with what he saw the Villa star do. Speaking to France 24, he said: “I don’t want to take up time talking about this lad who has an attitude that isn’t that of a very high-level athlete.
“In victory or defeat, you have to stay calm and gracious, so I prefer to focus on ourselves and that we bring out the positive aspects.”
Emi Martinez ran Aston Villa tightrope last night
Martinez ultimately won Villa the match, but the Argentine was extremely close to placing his team into serious trouble.
Had he been sent off, one of Villa’s outfield players would’ve had to go in goal, placing them at a severe disadvantage.
His antics played a part, but he must understand where the line is. For the remainder of the tournament, officials will be looking to avoid a repeat scenario.
The dramatic victory means Villa will now face Olympiacos in the semi-final.
