Argentina Goalkeeper Martinez Banned for Two Matches Over Offensive Conduct During Qualifiers

Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez has been handed a two-match ban by FIFA for what has been deemed offensive behavior.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced this decision on Saturday.

FIFA found Martinez guilty of violating its code of conduct on two occasions.

The first violation occurred after Argentina’s World Cup qualifier win over Chile on September 5, when Martinez was seen holding a replica of the Copa America trophy to his groin, which breached FIFA’s code of conduct.

This is not the first time he has engaged in such behaviour, having performed a similar act with the Golden Glove trophy after Argentina’s victory in the 2022 World Cup final.

In a separate incident, Martinez hit a TV cameraman’s equipment with his gloves after Argentina’s 2-1 loss to Colombia on September 10, further violating fair play principles.

As a result of the ban, Martinez will miss Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela on October 10 and Bolivia on October 15.

The AFA expressed strong discontent with FIFA’s ruling. In a statement, they conveyed their absolute disagreement with the disciplinary committee’s decision.

Argentina remains top of the South American qualifying table with 18 points after eight matches, while Colombia is close behind with 16 points.