Even before the Champions League game began on Wednesday, just as he ran out of the tunnel, Emi Martinez, the World Cupper custodian of Argentina and Aston Villa received a ring of boos around the stadium. 

A few seconds into the game, more boos followed when he received the ball for the first time in the game. And after his team lost 1-3 to PSG, the camera zoomed in on Martinez, grimacing in agony at the loss, and the crowd was jeering.

A day before the game, he walked into the football stadium with a baseball cap that had an emblem of the World Cup, two Copa Americas covering a French cockerel. The image was also posted on official twitter account of Aston Villa, triggering backlash from the PSG fans.

France’s So Foot magazine republished their 2023 feature story “The Goalkeeper We Love to Hate”. “Before the World Cup, he was an unknown. Then he upset France, embarrassed the rest of the world with his celebrations, and sparked a baby boom in Argentina. In just one competition, he became a bastard to some and a hero to others,” it stated.

None of it was surprising, of course. It dates back to the Qatar world cup, where he was magnificent in holding off France with his skill and mind games in the final shootouts, and was involved in the taunting of Kylian Mbappe during Argentina’s World Cup trophy celebrations. The 30-year-old also made a vulgar gesture upon receiving the Golden Glove award at the World Cup final.

Last year, he turned up in France for the first time since the Qatar antics for Aston Villa's game against Lille. It was expectedly a tempestuous affair, with the crowd jeering his every touch, and he riling them with gestures – shushing them, and saving two penalties. 

And as ever, he defended his goal-post admirably and starred in Villa's win. He was booked twice in that game, for time-wasting. It's in this context that he came now to France to play the game against PSG.