Emiliano Martinez revealed that a broken finger suffered during the warm-up nearly forced him out of Aston Villa's Europa League final against Freiburg in Istanbul. The Argentine goalkeeper, a World Cup winner, battled through the pain to complete the full 90 minutes as Villa secured a historic 3-0 victory, claiming their first major trophy in 30 years.
Martinez disclosed the injury occurred just minutes before kick-off, with each catch causing the finger to bend in the wrong direction. Despite the discomfort, he remained composed between the posts, making two crucial saves to preserve Villa's clean sheet. "Every time I caught the ball, it went the other way," Martinez explained. "But these are things you have to go through, and I'm proud to defend Aston Villa." The 33-year-old emphasized that he had never experienced a broken finger before, yet refused to let the setback derail his performance in such a significant fixture.
A Career-Defining Achievement
The Europa League triumph marks a watershed moment for Martinez's tenure at Villa Park. Goals from Youri Tielemans, Emi Buendia, and Morgan Rogers secured the title under manager Unai Emery, who has now established himself as Europe's foremost specialist in this competition. Martinez's unwavering commitment to the club proved vindicated after he resisted transfer interest from Manchester United during the previous summer's transfer window. "I am a World Cup winner with Aston Villa, I have won two Golden Gloves with Aston Villa," Martinez stated. "I will always and forever love this club."
This European medal completes an extraordinary trophy collection for the goalkeeper. His honours now include the World Cup, two Copa America titles, and the Europa League—a remarkable record of never losing a single final he has appeared in. With Argentina preparing to defend their world title, Martinez remains confident that the broken finger will not affect his international availability, allowing him to focus on Villa's achievement while maintaining readiness for next month's global tournament.
