Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez says he would like to represent his nation at the Paris Olympics — but has claimed his club Aston Villa are blocking him from doing so.
The 31-year-old has already been selected to be part of Lionel Scaloni’s side for this summer’s Copa America as they seek to defend their crown.
Martinez, who won the 2022 World Cup with his country, says he “dreams” of winning a gold medal at the Games, but stated that his participation in Paris is not certain.
“It’s my wish that I want to play in the Olympics, but it’s not only up to me,” he told TyC Sports. “The club has blocked me many times. I agreed to play in the Copa America and then make a decision. With the club, which didn’t let any national team player go, it’s not 100 per cent certain.
“I always put the Argentina national team first and if I have to fight with the club, I will. The most important thing is the Copa America, then the Olympics. My dream is to wear the gold medal.”
The Athletic has approached Villa for comment.
Martinez won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 and will be looking to defend their Copa America title this summer (Daniel Ramalho/AFP via Getty Images)
Argentina coach Javier Mascherano has named a 23-man squad for the Olympic warm-up matches against Paraguay, but is yet to add overage players — with the men’s Olympic tournament an under-23s competition with the exception of three permitted overage players — to that list. As the men’s tournament falls outside of an official FIFA international match window, clubs are not obligated to release their players for selection.
Julian Alvarez, though, would be allowed to play at the Olympics by Manchester City if he is selected. The 24-year-old — who has also been included in Scaloni’s Copa America selection — would count as an overage player.
It remains unclear whether Villa would allow Martinez to participate. The club has also blocked the exits of Lucas Digne and Moussa Diaby from playing for France, with both players understanding that they needed to be ready for pre-season.
The Paris Olympics will run from July 26 to August 11. Football matches will be hosted in cities across France, with the final held on August 9.
Martinez has 37 caps for Argentina, who play friendlies against Ecuador on June 9 and Guatemala on June 14 before their Copa America campaign begins against Canada on June 20.
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(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
