The Argentine Football Association stated on Saturday that Emiliano Martinez, Argentina’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper, has been banned for two matches by FIFA for “offensive behaviour.”
The 32-year-old Aston Villa player was also found guilty of “violating principles of fair play” in two separate incidents.
Martinez was deemed to have breached FIFA’s code of conduct for clutching a facsimile of the Copa America trophy to his groin following the World Cup qualification victory over Chile on September 5.
Martinez had previously performed such a move with the Golden Glove prize for best goalie when Argentina defeated France on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final.
FIFA also sanctioned him for slapping a TV cameraman’s camera with his gloves following their 2-1 loss to Colombia on September 10. The AFA voiced disappointment with the FIFA decision.
“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 vital member of Argentina’s Copa America winning team in July and 2021, will miss the World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela on October 10 and Bolivia on October 15. Argentina leads the South American qualifying table with 18 points from eight matches. Colombia is just two points behind.
Written by Jennifer Amarachi
