Aston Villa‘s Emi Martinez has found himself in the crossfire of an argument over distraction tactics during the taking of a penalty, reported by goal.com. After he employed his bag of dirty tricks and saved a crucial penalty against France in the 2022 World Cup final, his Argentine teammate Enzo Fernandez dubbed him a “crazy idiot”. Martinez played a crucial role in Argentina's World Cup victory. After he denied Kingsley Coman in the vital penalty shootout, Aurelien Tchouameni missed his spot-kick too. FIFA then decided to introduce a change to the rules, forbidding goalkeepers from using distraction tactics such as touching the crossbar and posts.

However, Martinez remains unbothered by the changes and has made it clear that he will continue to maintain his efficiency. The AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan taking to social media to mock the IFAB's decision.

Fernandez refused to be drawn into the debate and seems to have conflicting views about it. In an interview with Ole, he remarked that he has seen something about the rule change but admits that he's not sure if it's the right decision. He added, “For me, it's part of football folklore… Now, it's also true that if you have Dibu against you, you want to kill him because he's unbearable.”

Martinez, on the other hand, is known for his antics, frustrating opponents before and during penalty kicks. He has a reputation for getting under the skin of opponents and disrupting their concentration and, more often than not, it has paid off. The Argentine keeper's on-field antics have become somewhat of a trademark, polarizing opinions among football enthusiasts all over the world.

The two Argentinian players have enjoyed their summer holidays and will be seen returning to prepare to start their campaign for their respective clubs in the 2023-24 season. While Emi Martinez will look to continue making a mark on the Aston Villa squad, Enzo Fernandez will hope to make an impact for Chelsea in the upcoming season.