Emi Martinez spells out huge Aston Villa objective with 'anything is possible' claim
Emi Martinez insists "anything is possible in football" as the goalkeeper aims to win the Champions League with Aston Villa this season.
He believes that lifting the most prestigious trophy in club football will give him the platform to win the Yashin Trophy and The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper for a third time. As well as those individual honours, since joining Villa from Arsenal in 2020, Martinez has won the World Cup and the Copa America (x2) with Argentina, plus the Golden Glove awards from all three tournaments he has competed in with his nation.
At club level, Martinez has played a crucial role in Villa's progress under Unai Emery since November 2023, helping them return to Europe and qualify for the Champions League last season. But he was denied his ultimate goal with Villa of winning silverware after being knocked out of the Europa Conference League semi-finals by Olympiacos.
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"I think it [the season] has been good, not like I want it to be but we knew that playing in the Champions League and competing in the top four would be tough," Martinez reflected on Villa TV. "We had to sell players and the new players needed time to adapt, which they are doing now.
"We are doing well, three points off the Champions League and in the top six of the Champions League. We want more, but we are doing OK."
He added: "I want silverware for the club. I want a cup run and I was very frustrated to be knocked out by Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.
"I think the fans deserve to be in Wembley at the end of the season. It is something missing for the club for many years. I want cups and I know the feeling it brings for myself and the fans."
Asked if he is determined to win the Yashin Trophy and The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper for a third time, Martinez responded: "That’s why I want to win cups. Doing it once, it was lucky because we won the World Cup and we qualified for Europe with Villa. But doing twice I felt more proud, collecting my second The Best award. I made it twice and it’s not easy.
"We need to win the Champions League with Villa to win it [individual awards] again so that is my drive and my aim. For me, anything is possible in football. When I came here the club were not in the situation we are in now.
"I am proud to be part of this journey. The season before I arrived we finished 17th and then progressively, we were 11th, seventh, fourth. You can see the progress of the club. The owners and the manager we have got, it’s a really good time to be a Villa fan."
