“I’m Very Innocent” – Emiliano Martinez Defends X-Rated Gesture Against Kylian Mbappe at 2022 World Cup Final

The 2022 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France was a cascade of emotions. While it kept fans on the edge of their seats, players grappled with a chaotic array of feelings. Despite the gravity of the situation, La Albiceleste’s Emiliano Martinez added a moment of controversy with an X-rated gesture directed at Kylian Mbappe. While the incident sparked widespread discussion among fans, Dibu Martinez has come in defense of his antics, asserting that he didn’t ‘realize‘ that he was playing in a World Cup final. 

The unknown incident was made public in the recent Netflix documentary ‘Captains of the World.’ After France was given a penalty, Kylian Mbappe set up to shoot, placing the ball at the spot. But Martinez approached the PSG player and made what appeared to be a shoving motion by jokingly lunging in his groin area. Interestingly, in the latest interview with Christian Martin on DSport, when asked to justify his acts, he said, “I don’t even remember; they send me everything…. There are 70,000 cameras, sometimes you don’t realize that you’re playing in a World Cup final.” 

However, the Aston Villa star was quick enough to reveal his true self. “Maybe I do it in a training session and nobody sees it. That’s me… I’m very innocent when it comes to playing,” he added. Although Mbappe responded by instantly raising his head and giggling, Polish referee Szymon Marciniak stepped in and sternly disciplined Martinez. Strangely enough, Dibu’s shenanigans didn’t stop there. 

The Aston Villa player made another obscene gesture as part of his celebration after receiving the Golden Glove award, bringing the medal close to his crotch. Meanwhile, he admitted to using mind tricks to distract his opponents. 

Emiliano Martinez used mind warfare to win against Kylian Mbappe and France

In the documentary “Captains of the World,” Martinez acknowledged using psychological strategies to make his opponents nervous during penalty shootouts. He did it in the quarterfinal matchup with the Netherlands and the final battle with France. “Goalkeeping is all your mind. It’s about visualizing what happened. The box is mine. It’s my box; it’s my place,” he said. However, he won’t be able to do it now!

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Notably, FIFA imposed new rules after he used these tactics, banning goalkeepers from frightening or diverting penalty takers by kicking the net and goalposts. Interestingly, when asked about his thoughts on the rule change, Martinez answered sarcastically. He implied that it was too late to modify the regulations, as he had already used them to help his side win the Golden Trophy. 

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