French FA president Noel Le Graet: "We have launched different procedures. It is very shocking. I wrote to my counterpart from the Argentine Football Association. I find these excesses abnormal in the context of a sports competition, and I find it difficult to understand"
Saturday 24 December 2022 08:26, UK
The French FA has made a complaint against Emiliano Martinez following his antics in the aftermath of Argentina's World Cup final win over France.
Martinez was a key figure in Argentina's penalty shootout win over France and has since been spotted carrying a doll with Mbappe's face taped to it during the victory celebrations in Buenos Aires. He even called for a mock minute's silence for Mbappe in the dressing room after the final in Qatar
It has led to French FA president Noel Le Graet revealing he has written to his Argentinian counterpart Claudio Tapia, urging the Argentina FA to take action against the World Cup-winning goalkeeper.
"We have launched different procedures," Le Graet told Ouest-France. "It is very shocking.
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"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 a sports competition, and I find it difficult to understand.
"It goes too far. Mbappe's behaviour was exemplary."
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira, a World Cup winner with France in 1998, has described Martinez as "stupid" and believes he tainted Argentina's success.
Vieira said: "When you are talking about the abuse and the comments that he received after the World Cup, I think that is damaging the game and himself.
"Some of the pictures that I saw from the Argentina goalkeeper took away a little bit from what Argentina achieved at the World Cup. I don't think that they really needed that.
"You can't control sometimes people's emotions or decisions, but that was a stupid decision from Martinez to do that".
Meanwhile, Unai Emery says he's so proud of Aston Villa's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Martinez, but says he's due a chat with the Argentine about his celebrating.
Martinez has received plenty of criticism for his actions in Qatar despite helping Argentina win their first World Cup since 1986.
"When you have a big emotion, sometimes it's difficult to control it," Emery said.
"I will speak to him next week about some of the celebrations but I respect it for now because he's with his national team.
"When he's back with us we can speak about it."
