Sport Ballon d‘Or
When the winner accepts the prize, there is a scandal
Status: 31.10.2023 | Reading time: 3 minutes
Unpleasant moment: Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, here with his father Alberto, had to endure boos during the gala in Paris
What: REUTERS
Argentina’s world champion Emiliano Martínez wins the Ballon d’Or trophy as last year’s best goalkeeper. The reaction of the audience in Paris? Boos and whistles. Moderator Didier Drogba has to intervene.
Applause usually accompanies the chosen one as he rises from his seat and walks to the stage to accept an award. At the Ballon d’Or in Paris, however, some French spectators denied the winner of last year’s best goalkeeper this respect. First when going on stage – and then when certain scenes were played on the video screen.
On the evening when Lionel Messi was named best player for the eighth time, his Argentine national team colleague Emiliano Martínez had previously been honored. The 31-year-old from Aston Villa accepted the Yashin Trophy from “France Football” as the best goalkeeper – accompanied by expressions of displeasure from the audience in the room.
Argentina won the World Cup final on penalties against France in Qatar last December – and Martinez played a big part in that triumph. One of his highlight saves was a crucial one in the final. However, at the award ceremony and the award for best World Cup goalkeeper, he also caused criticism with an obscene gesture.
Drogba called for calm and respect from the audience
His reception at the Ballon d’Or was not entirely warm: when he arrived at the Théatre du Chatelet with his wife Mandinha, he was greeted with a few whistles. When he later went on stage, there were some boos and whistles. They only subsided briefly. Because when, among other things, one of the decisive scenes of the World Cup final against France was shown during his speech, in which Martínez saved the Albiceleste from a penalty shootout with a save against Randal Kolo Muani, some spectators expressed their displeasure again.
Key scene: France’s Randal Kolo Muani (l.) fails in the World Cup final against goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez
Source: picture alliance/dpa/Robert Michael
The audience’s reaction was so unpleasant that presenter and legendary striker Didier Drogba was forced to interrupt the usual proceedings. He asked the audience to be calm and respectful.
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Martínez himself said calmly: “Maybe the same thing would have happened if a Frenchman had done that with Argentina. I have nothing against them,” said the football professional.
With psychological tricks in the penalty taker
Martinez, who moved from his homeland to England at the age of 17, was one of the key players in Argentina’s World Cup triumph. Not just because of his save against Randal Kolo Muani. He then used psychological tricks to unsettle the French penalty takers. The then 30-year-old finally parried Kingsley Coman’s attempt: he dived into the right corner and deflected the ball to the side.
Full of emotions, Martinez then grabbed the ball and hit it with full force into the stands. For this action, referee Szymon Marciniak showed the goalkeeper a yellow card. However, the warning appeared to have clearly failed to have its intended effect. Before France’s third attempt, Martinez grabbed the ball, went back towards the goal – and then threw the ball towards the corner of the penalty area. France’s shooter Aurélien Tchouaméni, who had already reached the penalty spot, had to run back to get the ball. Tchouaméni then put his penalty next to the goal. Martinez celebrated the miss with a dance.
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