Emiliano Martinez Admits Being Forced to See a Psychologist After ‘Painful’ Defeat vs Saudi Arabia in the World Cup

Emiliano Martinez emerged as one of the biggest stars for Argentina during the World Cup last year. However, unknown to many, the goalkeeper was in cold sweats following his debut for the side. La Albiceleste was handed a surprising defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia in the opening fixture, with Martinez conceding two goals. The goalkeeper, months after the game, has now spoken on his thoughts, stating he needed a psychologist to cope with the loss.

Following the opening loss, Martinez was like a rock for Argentina between the sticks. The Argentine was stunning throughout the remaining games in the tournament, making some sensational saves. His actions did not go unrewarded with the player bagging the Yacine trophy in this year’s Ballon d’Or awards.

Emiliano Martinez opens up on the loss against Saudi Arabia

The Aston Villa star had one of the most unforgettable campaigns in the World Cup last year. The shot-stopper made his World Cup debut for the Albiceleste last year. However, things did not as planned as Argentina faced a shocking 2-1 defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia in their opening game.

Months after the defeat, Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has spoken up about his thoughts following the game. The goalkeeper stated that he was having trouble sleeping after the game and had lost confidence.

Martinez stated, “On my World Cup debut, conceding two goals on two shots against Saudi Arabia was very painful. After that, I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I woke up in the middle of the night with cold sweats at the idea of having to go home having failed at the World Cup. But I didn’t want to leave so quickly.”

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The keeper added, “My family had booked a hotel in Doha for a month. From the day after this match, I worked a lot with my psychologist and it helped me a lot to prepare for the match against Mexico. I was very stressed but very serene at the same time. After this victory and the one against Poland, we got our confidence back.”

The goalkeeper following the loss in the opening game kept clean sheets in the remaining group games. Martinez then turned things up a notch, putting up some amazing performances during the knockout stages. During the interview, the player also touched on the importance of being mentally fit.

Martinez speaks on the importance of his psychologist

The Argentinian goalkeeper during the same interview also spoke about his mindset in regular life. The player added that his psychologist plays a key role in his life as it helps him stay happy.

“It helps me find a balance. I don’t take the big head when I win and I also don’t feel catastrophic when I concede four or five goals. It allows me to keep control when I’m angry. It simply helps me to focus on the present moment and what I have loved since I was a child, namely playing football.”

It’s interesting to see how the player who is known for playing mind games is sometimes caught up in his own thoughts. Martinez has emerged as one of the top goalkeepers in the world following his heroics for Argentina during the World Cup.

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