The goalkeeper of the Argentine national team, champion of the world Cup of 2022, Emiliano Martínez, stated this Wednesday that he is willing to “fight a little more” with the English club Aston Villa so that he can participate in the Paris Olympic Games.
“It’s my desire to compete in the Olympic Games, but it’s not just up to me. The club (Aston Villa) has blocked me many times. I’m going to play in the Copa América (in the United States) and then make a decision. With the club, which doesn’t released no player from the national team, it is not 100% defined”, he said.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper spoke during the Argentine national team’s training camp in Miami. The team will play two friendlies: on June 9th they will face Ecuador, and on June 14th they will face Guatemala. The games serve to complete preparation for the Copa América.
Martínez, 31, also wants to be one of the players over 23 that the team can take to the Olympic football competition, where Argentina will seek gold for the third time, after victories at the Athens Games in 2004, and Beijing, in 2008.
#Sub23 We keep working 🫡
💪🏻 The team led by Javier Mascherano trained this afternoon in Ezeiza.
📝 https://t.co/nDZ0iSFhk1 pic.twitter.com/jssmlJ9CgB
— 🇦🇷 Argentina National Team ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) June 5, 2024
“I always put the Argentine team first and if I have to fight with the club, I will do so,” warned Martínez to the Argentine channel TyC Sports.
“The most important thing is the Copa América and then the Olympic Games. My dream is to win the gold medal”, he added, aware that the Olympic Games is not a FIFA competition and, therefore, clubs are not obliged to give up their players.
Martínez will be part of the Argentine team that will compete in the Copa América from June 20th and, if it reaches the final, until July 14th, while the Olympic football competition will take place between July 24th and August 9th, a week before from the start of the Premier League.
After having an excellent performance at the World Cup in Qatar, Martínez was awarded the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper of the tournament and later received the FIFA The Best award for best goalkeeper.
Argentina will debut in the Olympic football tournament against Morocco on July 24, at the Parc des Princes, in Paris. Then, they will face Iraq on the 27th of this month, in Lyon, and in the same place they will play against Ukraine three days later.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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