Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez won the Yashin Trophy for the second year running at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday evening.
The 31-year-old has become one of the most integral figures in Argentine and Aston Villa history, with his performances taking his teams to heights they have never reached in many, many years.
Martinez was a key reason why Villa reached the Champions League for the first time in decades and have made such strides under the stewardship of Unai Emery.
The Midlands side paid Arsenal £17 million for Martinez’s services in 2020 and it will go down as one of the club’s best signings.
But his greatest-ever moment came when Martinez helped Argentina win the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Those penalty heroics will live long in the memory of fans, but it has equally made him public enemy number one in France, as was proven at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
French fans boo Emi Martinez before the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony
When Villa beat Lille on penalties in the Conference League last season, it was the first time Martinez had been in France since that World Cup win.
And to nobody’s surprise, he got booed on that day, but he was the last one laughing because his performances helped Villa progress.
It seems as though the French fans haven’t forgotten because Martinez was booed again by the Paris crowd as he walked with his wife on the red carpet.
What Martinez said about winning the 2024 Yachin Trophy
There is a banner at Villa Park that reads ‘all my heroes are Villans’ and Martinez fits that description perfectly.
He is the type of player every team would love to have on their side, but you hate it when you are playing against him because he is arrogant of the highest order and he backs it up.
After Martinez won the 2024 Yashin trophy, he made sure to thank those at Villa and also how he wants to win trophies with the Champions League side.
It has been over two decades since Villa tasted a trophy and you feel with this squad of players now, it’s the best chance they will ever have.
“I’d like to thank my colleagues and my teammates at Aston Villa,” Martinez told the Ballon d’Or ceremony. “They all know how demanding I am. I come from a very humble place and this is something that makes me want to do better and improve. It is the group effort that makes things happen.
“It’s huge for me. I always dreamed of playing one game for the national team. Coming as such a young lad to England, to Aston Villa and the national team. Winning once was such an honour, winning back-to-back I couldn’t believe it. Winning is such an honour for my family and friends I only care about group titles with the national team and Aston Villa. For me, it is about improving myself. That’s all I care about.”
