Emiliano Martinez became the first person to win the Yashin Trophy for the world’s best goalkeeper two years on the spin, but only after he was loudly booed on his way into the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
The Aston Villa and Argentina stopper was credited as the world’s finest in his position once again after winning the Copa America over the summer.
Last year he got the nod over Manchester City’s Ederson, while this time around it was Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simon who finished second.
‘It’s huge for me,’ he said. ‘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. Winning such an honour for my family and friends.
‘I don’t see myself as the best, there’s so many good goalies that I see today and week in, week out. I only care about the group efforts. I just want to improve myself.’
Martinez is well known for his antics on and off the field, happy to wind up opponents and even entire nations.
‘Sometimes, when you are on the pitch, you behave the way you want to win the game,’ he said. ‘Off the pitch, I am proud man, a husband and a brother. On it, with Aston Villa, we just want to continue progressing.’
The 32-year-old remains an unpopular figure in France, though, and was roundly booed by fans outside the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris as he entered with his partner.
Martinez made himself the pantomime villain of the World Cup final in 2022 thanks to the lewd gesture he performed after winning the tournament’s Golden Glove award.
The goalkeeper then held a minute’s silence for Kylian Mbappe in the Argentina dressing room and even when he returned to his home country to celebrate he held a baby doll with the France superstar’s face on it during the open top bus parade.
His bid to wind up the French clearly worked and he was certainly not the most popular man in Paris on Monday night.
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