Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez saw Lille fans attempt to storm his goal during their Europa Conference League tie on Thursday. The Argentine stopper is far from popular in France after his heroics to deny Kylian Mbappe and co in the World Cup final in Qatar, with supporters seemingly harbouring some resentment.
As the teams made their way out onto the pitch for kick-off, Lille fans could be spotted attempting to climb over the barricade and onto the pitch near the visiting goal.
They were unable to get close to Martinez’s goal and were promptly stopped in their tracks by stewards, but ensured that a hostile atmosphere was made even tougher for the ex-Arsenal goalkeeper to endure.
Martinez quickly sprinted across to his goal but was firmly focused on the task in hand, with Unai Emery’s outfit starting the match with a 2-1 lead after winning the first leg at Villa Park.
Fresh off a win at the Emirates, Villa were met by a Lille side primed for their encounter and Yusuf Yazici soon drew the hosts level in a first half in which Villa did not have a single shot on target.
Martinez was whistled throughout the contest after previously being described as ‘the most hated man in France’ following his saves and subsequent celebrations after Argentina’s World Cup. The goalkeeper was also booked for timewasting, which led to Emery’s furious outburst on the touchline that also saw the head coach shown a yellow card.
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