Aston Villa's Emi Martinez set for a return with supporters who blew his mind

CommentsSportJohn Townley Aston Villa correspondent13:29, 10 Mar 2026Updated 14:06, 10 Mar 2026Emi Martinez will be expecting a hostile reception from Lille fans when Aston Villa return to the Decathlon Arena on Thursday night.

After Matty Cash levelled the tie late in the away leg to make it 3-3 on aggregate, Martinez came into his own during the penalty shootout, saving Lille's first and fifth penalties to secure a 4-3 victory.

However, after making his first save, he was shown a second yellow card for appearing to gesture toward the home fans.

Despite already being booked in normal time, he was not sent off, as UEFA rules state that yellow cards are reset before the start of a penalty shootout.

Martinez admitted afterwards that the abuse from fans “gives me fuel to perform,” and that will be the case again later this week for the Europa League round of 16 first leg.

“They insulted me the entire match,” Martinez told TyC Sports after Villa’s win in Lille two years ago. “Never had I been so insulted in my life. They did everything!

“I didn’t do anything in the 120 minutes of the game. The fans insulted me so much during every goal kick that the referee issued me a yellow card in the 30th minute! After that, I shut them up during the penalty shootout.”

Then, ahead of Villa’s return to France for the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, Martinez told TyC Sports that he believed the abuse he expected to take would relieve pressure on his teammates.

“It’s going to be heated," he told TyC Sports. "I’ve already received messages and everything. The good thing is that my team will have less pressure because people will insult me.

"I have it completely under control. Against Lille, they blew my mind for 120 minutes. It’s normal."

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