Unai Emery has reportedly confirmed that Emiliano Martinez has been stripped of the vice captaincy following his summer-long transfer drama so the Argentine is no longer wearing the Aston Villa armband.
In the absence of John McGinn, Martinez would often serve as the team’s captain, but that wasn’t the case on Thursday when Villa faced Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Rather, the captain’s armband was worn by England international Ezri Konsa.
The shot-stopper made an emotional appearance in the season’s last home game and was predicted to depart Villa Park in the summer.
His most likely destination was thought to be Manchester United, who were looking for a goalkeeper.
See Also: Slot Makes Weird Tactical Claim Following Liverpool Wins Over Aston Villa, Real Madrid
Martinez was benched for the season’s first few games before Emery brought him back into the fray. However it’s unclear if this is directly related to the Argentine’s unsuccessful summer transfer.
Emery Confirms Konsa As Aston Villa’s Vice Captain
According to The Mirror, Emery confirmed on Thursday that Martinez is no longer the club’s vice-captain: “The first captain is John McGinn. We decided how we are, as well as managing the next captain.
“Usually, we have another captain, Emi Martinez, as second captain. But now, after speaking with him, I prefer to get him back. Konsa is the next one. Tyrone Mings, with Ollie Watkins too. Normally, we are managing it like that.”
After joining Villa from Arsenal four years ago, Martinez has contributed to the team’s ascent to the Champions League. In the early weeks, Emery ditched him in favour of Marco Bizot and he declined to answer inquiries about the Argentine.
COMMENTS