France have launched a complaint over the antics of Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who has taunted Kylian Mbappe several times since the World Cup final.
Martinez, 3, became one of Argentina’s heroes as they lifted the 2022 World Cup, saving a last-minute attempt by Randal Kolo Muani before also parrying Kingsley Coman’s penalty in the shootout.
After the match, the Argentine goalkeeper, though, has sent several jibes in the direction of Mbappe, first asking for a minute of silence for the French superstar, who scored three goals in the final and converted his penalty, during his side’s wild dressing room celebrations.
Later, Martinez was pictured with a baby doll that had a mask of Mbappe’s face during Argentina’s open-top bus parade.
Those antics have upset the president of the French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet, who revealed he lodged a complaint with his Argentine counterpart.
“We have launched different procedures. It is very shocking,” he said during an interview with Ouest-France, as per Goal.
“These are boys who have given the best of themselves for the France team to succeed. It is important that we support them.
“I wrote to my counterpart from the Argentine Football Association. I find these excesses abnormal in the context of sports competition, and I find it difficult to understand.
“It goes too far. Mbappe’s behaviour was exemplary.”
Martinez’s taunts are believed to be in reaction to comments from Mbappe ahead of the World Cup, who stated that European nations were better prepared for the World Cup because they play “high-level matches all the time”, which upset Martinez, several of his teammates and football personalities from South America.
