- The Argentine Football Association said on Saturday that Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper for Argentina during the World Cup, has been suspended by FIFA for two games due to “offensive behavior.” In two different occasions, the 32-year-old Aston Villa player was also found guilty of “violating principles of fair play.”
- After the World Cup qualification victory over Chile on September 5, Martinez was deemed to have broken FIFA’s code of conduct by holding a facsimile of the Copa America trophy to his groin.
- Martinez has already done this with the Golden Glove prize for best goalkeeper following Argentina’s penalty-filled victory over France in the 2022 World Cup final. FIFA also punished him for striking a TV cameraman’s equipment with his gloves following their September 10 2-1 loss to Colombia.
- It should be noted that the Argentine Football Association expresses its absolute disagreement with the decision taken by the FIFA disciplinary committee,” they said in a statement.
- Martinez, a crucial player for Argentina’s squad that won both the Copa America in July and the 2021 championship, will miss the World Cup qualifying matches against Bolivia on October 15 and Venezuela on October 10 as a result of the decision.