Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has revealed that he is pushing to represent Argentina at the Olympics in France this summer.
The 31-year-old shot-stopper has never shied away from saying how much he loves playing for his country, and while he’ll be looking to help them secure another Copa America title in the coming weeks, he has his sights set on another major achievement after.
READ MORE: Aston Villa pre-season schedule 2024: Two more games confirmed
Argentina’s first group game in the Olympics this summer takes place on July 24, and should they reach the Gold Medal match, their tournament would conclude on August 9.
As seen in Villa’s confirmed pre-season schedule thus far below, our first game will be against Walsall on July 17, while as things stand, our final outing will be played on August 10, a week before the new Premier League campaign gets underway.
That in turn would mean Martinez would miss the bulk of our preparations, including our trip to the USA, and so Villa will face a big decision as to whether or not they green light his participation in the Olympics.
“My wish is to play in the Olympics,” he told TyC Sports. “It’s not up to me, Aston Villa blocked me several times. It’s not completely closed yet but I know I have to fight a little more with Aston Villa. I always put the national team first. The most important thing is to win the Copa America. then to wear the gold.”
On one hand, it would be a real blow to be without Martinez all summer, as although our backline will remain largely the same and they should all be familiar with one another by now, it’s critical to build up that understanding and chemistry over pre-season and implement and perfect Emery’s ideas and demands.
However, if he’ll maintain a high level of fitness work while on international duty and stay sharp with game-time to prepare himself for the new season but in a different environment, perhaps it won’t be as impactful.
Nevertheless, with the Copa America concluding on July 14, that would give Martinez just 10 days before the Olympics, and if Argentina do go all the way in Paris, he would have a week before the start of the new Premier League season.
Even for a goalkeeper, that is a lot of football with not a lot of time off, and so the decision will possibly come down to whether or not Martinez is willing to sacrifice some of that time off and minimise how much training and football he misses for Villa to start the new campaign.
If he’s able to do that, hopefully the two parties can reach an amicable agreement that keeps everyone happy and we’ll be ready for another big year ahead.
July 17: @ Walsall [7.30pm KO]
July 20: @ Spartak Trnava [Trnava, 4pm KO local]
July 27: @ Columbus Crew [Ohio, 8pm KO local]
July 31: vs RB Leipzig [New Jersey, 8pm KO local]
August 3: vs Club America [Chicago, 4.30pm KO local]
August 7: vs Athletic Bilbao [Walsall, 7.30pm KO]
August 10: @ Borussia Dortmund [5pm KO local]