Translation result
[MyDaily = Reporter Kim Gun-ho] \”People kept saying I was going to Manchester United,\” Martínez said.
On May 21 (KST), Aston Villa defeated Freiburg 3-0 in the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League final at Tüpraş Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Villa took the lead in the 41st minute through Youri Tielemans. Emiliano Buendía added a second in first-half stoppage time, and Morgan Rogers put the game beyond reach with a goal in the 58th minute of the match.
Starting goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez made two key saves and kept a clean sheet to secure the victory.
After the match, Martínez revealed he had played despite a fractured finger. \”I broke my finger during warm-ups today,\” he said. \”But every bad thing for me brings something good. I’ve always been like this and I’ll keep going. I’d never broken a finger in my life, and every time I caught the ball my finger bent the wrong way. You have to get through things like that, and I’m proud I could protect Villa.\”
The triumph marked Villa’s first major trophy in 30 years, their first since winning the English League Cup in 1995–96. The team returned home to a hero’s welcome with the trophy.
The Villa squad joined a victory parade, and Martínez was among them. He climbed aboard the open-top bus, took the microphone and addressed the Manchester United transfer talk directly.
Martínez told the crowd, \”People kept saying I was going to Manchester United… you know what? They were wrong!\”
Villa supporters booed when Manchester United was mentioned, then erupted in cheers when Martínez dismissed the rumors.
Martínez had been linked with Manchester United after last season, but United ultimately signed Senne Lammens.
Staying at Villa, Martínez appeared in 44 matches this season, conceded 49 goals and recorded 14 clean sheets, playing a major role in Villa’s return to the UEFA Champions League.
Most Read
-
‘Health scare’ Lee Kyung-kyu admits to panic disorder: \”It felt like I was going to die\” [Made Hot Review]
-
‘Former Chunju man’ Kim Sun-tae donates 100 million KRW (approximately 75,000 USD) three months after quitting: \”I wanted to show off\”
-
Three Jo Jung-suks at home: \”I hoped my second child would look like ♥Gumi\” [Made Hot Review]
Most Commented