Stiliyan Petrov: Emi Martinez right-hand issue surfaces before final

stiliyan petrov: Emi Martinez appeared to have a problem with his right hand during Aston Villa’s build-up to the Europa League final against Freiburg. The goalkeeper later had his glove back on and was practising claiming crosses before the 8pm BST kick-off.

Martinez in the tunnel

Ben Fisher reported that Martinez had gone down the tunnel, a fresh worry for Aston Villa on the day of a European final. Javi Garcia then spent a couple of minutes taping one of the goalkeeper’s fingers before the glove returned and Martinez resumed work with coaches and the other goalkeepers.

Martinez also drew a massive cheer when the teams were read aloud, while Unai Emery received a huge reception at the end of the team news. Emery spoke to TNT Sports before the match and laid out Villa’s approach with the words: “Definitely very normal routine [today] … analyse our performance … analyse our opponent … respect them a lot … now we focus … everywhere the fans travel with us … today is a special day for them … we do this for them … they enjoy it with heart … respect Europe … respect the opponent … completely focus in our game-plan … our personality … our identity … the players in the bench must have a good impact … we have options.”

Villa’s European history

The concern also landed against Villa’s past problems in goal in European finals. In 1982, Jimmy Rimmer went into the European Cup final with a sore neck after being hit in training a couple of days before the match, then lasted nine minutes before Nigel Spink replaced him.

Spink was 23 years old when he took over, a reminder of how quickly a goalkeeper situation can swing on the biggest night. Villa went into this final carrying a fresh check on Martinez, and the finger taping, the tunnel trip and the glove returning all pointed to a player being managed right up to kick-off.

For Villa, the practical next step was simple: keep Martinez available and keep him working. The final itself was already under way at 8pm BST, with the goalkeeper’s right hand the detail that most closely tracked Villa’s immediate preparation.