CloseMark Ogden is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @MarkOgden_.
Follow on X
PARIS -- Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans has urged Paris Saint-Germain supporters to "stick to football" if they taunt goalkeeper Emi MartÃnez during Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal clash after the Argentina No. 1 travelled to the French capital wearing a baseball cap highlighting his 2022 World Cup triumph against France.
MartÃnez has been an unpopular figure in France since helping Argentina win a penalty shootout in the World Cup final in Qatar. The 32-year-old's antics during the shootout and after the game were deemed to be disrespectful by the French and he also angered Lille supporters by shushing them after helping Villa win a Conference League penalty shootout against the Ligue 1 side last season.
The former Arsenal keeper did little to ease tensions with French fans by boarding Villa's flight to Paris with a cap bearing a cockerel -- a French national emblem -- alongside the Argentina flag and the four international trophies he has won with the world champions.
Dibu