Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made headlines after his team’s World Cup win on Sunday for an inappropriate gesture, and he later explained what inspired him to do it.
Martinez was awarded the Golden Glove trophy, which is given to the best goalkeeper of the World Cup. After he received the hardware, Martinez briefly stopped and placed the trophy in front of his crotch as if it were a certain part of his body. You can see the video below:
Golden Glove pic.twitter.com/Rc1eSqecKa
— ZuL M. Ajhie (@ajhie) December 19, 2022
Martinez was later asked about the gesture during an interview with Argentinian radio station La Red. He said it was directed toward French fans.
“I did it because the French were booing me,” Martinez said, via William Allen of AS Argentina. “I can’t be doing with arrogance.”
Martinez made a similar gesture and facial expression after Argentina won the Copa America in 2021.
Hay cosas que nunca cambian
A la izquierda: Dibu Martínez con el trofeo de Mejor Portero del Mundial
A la derecha: Dibu Martínez con el trofeo de Mejor Portero de la Copa América. pic.twitter.com/xVXI7ribR4
— f5futbol (@f5_futbol) December 18, 2022
Argentina defeated France in penalty kicks to win arguably the most exciting World Cup match in history. Even FOX analyst Landon Donovan had a great way of expressing the emotions that went along with it. Martinez, who had three clean sheets during the tournament, was probably just overly excited.
H/T Big Daddy
