During Argentina's victory over France in World Cup final, Emiliano Martínez accused of 'cheating'

One of the greatest finals in the World Cup saw Argentina face off against France. Argentina won the day beating France 4-2 on penalties. The start of the match saw goals by Lionel Messi and Di Maria, which put their side ahead. But Kylian Mbappé then scored his share. When there was play in extra time, Messi scored his 7th goal of the tournament. Finally, when the match went to penalties, Mbappe made the second-ever hat trick in a final.

Martinez, who has a great record, proved his mettle and saved Coman's attempt. But his behaviour during the match has been questioned by others.

Martinez and his Antics

Martinez acted quite strangely during the shootouts. Some people could accept his behaviour, but there are various opinions on it. Some would opine that it was gamesmanship and an attempt to go for a win.




However, Simon Jordan, former Crystal Palace Chairman, says it was more than that and could even be called cheating. He did get a yellow card for his actions during the match.

Tchouameni was to step up when Martinez had the ball. Instead of throwing it in the correct direction, he threw it away from the spot. He followed that action by moving towards the next player, taking the penalty. His act earned him a yellow card.

Jordan stated that he considered his actions as more than gamesmanship and more as cheating. He did not think it to be a part of the game.

FAQs:

1. Did the referee allow the questionable actions?
   The referee could not prevent the actions but issued a yellow card to Martinez.
2. How long was Martinez at Arsenal?
   He was at Arsenal for almost a decade.