ASTON VILLA and Argentina keeper Emi Martinez has raised £37,000 by auctioning off his World Cup final gloves.
The 30-year-old, nicknamed Dibu, was instrumental in helping his side win the final and lift the trophy for the first time since 1986.
With the astonishing clash level at 3-3, Martinez made a sensational stop to deny France’s Randal Kolo Muani at the end of extra-time.
And he then went on to save a penalty in the shoot-out before Aurelien Tchouameni fired wide as Argentina triumphed in dramatic fashion.
Many keepers would have understandably kept the match-winning gloves for themselves.
But it has now been revealed that Martinez, who won the Golden Glove award for best keeper at the World Cup, opted to auction them off.
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And he has donated the proceeds – which amount to £37,000 – to the oncology ward at the Garrahan Hospital in Buenos Aires.
Speaking on Instagram, the Argentine Paediatric Foundation said: “$45,000 for the Dibu gloves to help the Garrahan boys.”
And Martinez added: “The World Cup finals are not played every day, [the gloves] are special.
“But it helps a child much more than me having them hanging in a frame in my house.”
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Reacting to Martinez’s kind gesture, one Villa fan said: “The man he is. So happy he is at our club.”
While another added: “Beautiful deed from him.”
Martinez’s generous act comes after he was criticised for his behaviour during and after the World Cup final.
His gamesmanship during the pivotal shoot-out raised eyebrows among some football fans.
And he then appeared to mock Kylian Mbappe during the open-top bus parade in Argentina by holding a baby doll with the French striker’s face on.
Mbappe, 24, scored a hat-trick in the final but still ended up on the losing side.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
