Emiliano Martínez reveals why he left Aston Villa for Chelsea

Emiliano Martínez has revealed that leaving Aston Villa for Chelsea was partly motivated by his desire to overcome the disappointment of Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain. The goalkeeper told Sport Witness, relaying comments from TyC Sports, that the 1-0 extra-time loss “hurt a lot” and prompted him to seek a fresh start.

“I tried changing clubs to mentally refresh myself, and I succeeded,” Martínez said, adding that he now feels “useful, fast, and good” at Chelsea.

The 34-year-old completed a £7.8 million move to Chelsea from Villa on August 30 after spending six seasons at the Midlands club. Martínez made four appearances for Chelsea, conceding 10 goals, but kept two clean sheets for Argentina during the international break against Bolivia and Burkina Faso.