Emiliano Martínez has revealed that he played Aston Villa’s Europa League final victory with a broken finger sustained just minutes before kick-off.
The Argentine goalkeeper suffered the injury during the warm-up ahead of Wednesday’s final against SC Freiburg in Istanbul. Despite the setback, Martínez completed the entire match as Aston Villa F.C. secured a dominant 3-0 victory to lift their first European trophy in 44 years.
Villa’s goals came through Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendía and Morgan Rogers, ending the club’s 30-year wait for a major title.
Speaking after the match, Martínez said he noticed immediately that something was wrong with his finger but decided to continue.
“Today I broke my finger during the warm-up and for me, every bad thing brings something good,” he said. “Every time I caught the ball, it went the other way. But these are things you have to go through, and I’m proud to defend Aston Villa.”
Although Villa largely controlled the final, the 33-year-old still produced two saves during the game to help preserve the clean sheet.
The injury did not stop Martínez from fully enjoying the celebrations. After the final whistle, he joined supporters in the stands before lifting manager Unai Emery during the post-match festivities.
The goalkeeper’s condition will now be closely monitored ahead of next month’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Argentina expected to announce its squad soon.
Martínez has built a reputation for success in major finals throughout his career. His achievements include winning the FA Cup, the FIFA World Cup, two Copa América titles and now the Europa League.
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