"Dibu" Martínez Leads Aston Villa to European Semifinals
Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez, forty-two years later, took Aston Villa, led by Spanish coach Unai Emery, to new European semifinals by securing the English team's qualification for the penultimate round of the Conference League after saving two penalties in the shootout against Lille.
At times, it seemed that Martinez would be sent off after receiving his second yellow card during the penalty shootout, having been booked in the first half for time-wasting.
However, the rules state that yellow cards shown during regulation time and extra time do not count in the penalty shootout, as it is considered not part of the match.
This circumstance allowed "Dibu" Martinez not only to stay between the posts but also to become the hero of Aston Villa after saving the penalties from Algerian Nabil Bentaleb and Benjamin André, leading the "Villains" to a 3-4 victory after a match that ended 2-1 in favor of the French team after extra time.
The Argentinian goalkeeper's saves propelled Villa to European semifinals they hadn't contested since 1982 when they were crowned European champions.