Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez suffered a broken finger during the warm-up ahead of the Europa League final, yet he played the entire match and kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 victory over Freiburg in Istanbul on Wednesday night. The win marked Villa's first trophy in 30 years.
Injury During Warm-Up
Just before kick-off, Martinez was attended to by Villa's goalkeeping coach and physio after hurting his hand. Initially, there was no indication of a serious injury, but it later emerged that he had broken his finger. Despite the pain, the World Cup winner remained focused and denied Freiburg's two shots on target.
Post-Match Celebrations
Martinez did not let the injury dampen his spirits. After the match, he lifted manager Unai Emery onto his shoulders and jumped into the crowd to celebrate with the traveling fans. Reflecting on the injury, Martinez said: 'Should I be worried? I've never had a broken finger before. 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.'
Emery's Ambitions
Unai Emery, now a five-time Europa League winner with three different clubs, looked to the future. He emphasized the club's growth, including plans to expand the stadium by 10,000 seats and improve the training center. 'Next year we will play in the Champions League, and that is the challenge,' Emery said. 'The Premier League is the most difficult league in the world. We are trying to be consistent among the top teams.'
Match Highlights
The final was illuminated by stunning goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia, with Morgan Rogers adding a third just before the hour mark. Villa's comfortable victory secured their first European trophy since 1982.
Emery added: 'Winning is better. We are adding experiences that are important for the players. Last year we learned from defeats in the FA Cup and Champions League. Today, I was ready to win or lose, but winning is better.'
