Emiliano Martinez wins back-to-back Yachine Trophy awards

Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez has retained the title of best goalkeeper of the 2023-24 season. Decisive with Argentina and Aston Villa, the goalkeeper becomes the first to repeat in two consecutive years.

At 32, the Aston Villa goalkeeper beat off the other candidates, Spain's European Championship winner Unai Simon and Real Madrid's Ukrainian Champions League winner Andrey Lunin.

Athletic Club Bilbao's goalkeeper was second, while Real Madrid's Ukrainian was third, ahead of PSG's Gianluigi Dunnarumma and Milan's Frenchman Mike Maignan. Valencia's Georgian Giorgi Mamardashvili was seventh.

"It's an honour to be here again," said 'Dibu', who said that as a child he dreamed of being the goalkeeper for his country's national team and that now he can't believe what he is achieving.

Last July he won the Golden Glove at the Copa America, a tournament he won with the Argentine national team, and in 2023 he won the FIFA The Best trophy, after winning the Golden Glove at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of 2022, where he played an important role in Argentina's victory.

To the insinuation that on the pitch he can be somewhat provocative, Martinez pointed out that "for Argentinians it is not something excessive" and that, although he is a normal person, on the pitch he transforms himself "because the important thing is to win".

"I don't see myself as the best, there are many incredible players. For me it is more important to win collective titles. I trust what my coaches tell me", he stressed. 

 

October 28, 2024