Aston Villa emerged as the new European League champions after defeating German team Freiburg in a convincing 3:0 victory in the final in Istanbul. The central figure in this historic evening was the goalkeeper of the winning team and the Argentine national team, Emiliano Martinez, who revealed a shocking detail after the match.

The world's best goalkeeper played the entire final with a broken finger! The injury occurred just before the start of the match during warm-up on the Istanbul stadium. Despite the painful sprain, Martinez not only remained on the field but also kept the net untouched, performing several incredible interventions that demoralized the Bundesliga players.

"What we have achieved is beautiful. I am proud and feel like I am growing with each match. Today I broke my finger during warm-up, but I did not see it as something bad. I had never broken a finger before, and every time I tried to catch the ball, it would simply slip in another direction. But these are things you just have to get through," Martinez told ESPN after the award ceremony.

Cameras captured the moment when Martinez withdrew from the field during warm-up for the Villa medical team to provide assistance. His finger was immediately bandaged, after which he returned to the post and performed at the highest level.

Aston Villa's Dominance

Aston Villa completely overwhelmed Freiburg, with the question of the winner being resolved in the first half of the game. Goals were scored in sequence by Juri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendía, and Morgan Rodgers, while Martinez on the other side "pulled down the shutters." This is the first trophy for the Birmingham club in 30 years, which sparked delirium among the fans.

Martinez's Emotional Speech

"The fans and the club are like a family for me. Every time I step onto the field to defend Aston Villa's goal, I do it with immeasurable pride. Today I tried to bring my experience and all those training sessions that no one sees, and it finally bore fruit," the emotional Argentine added.

Although the injury sounds serious, popular "Dibu" commented on it with a smile, emphasizing that it will not jeopardize his participation for Argentina in the upcoming June World Cup, where the "Albiceleste" will defend their world title.

"I am overjoyed. Now is the time to celebrate with the boys, something this team hasn't had the chance to do in a long time. Only then will I focus on the World Cup," Martinez concluded.

(Telegraf.rs)