Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has opened up on his successful penalty shootout routines.
The 31-year-old has developed a reputation for coming out on top in shootouts by any means necessary after helping Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, when they beat France on penalties in the final.
He was also the hero in their quarter-final shootout win against the Netherlands and had previously got into the heads of the Colombia players during Argentina’s penalty shootout win in the 2021 Copa America semi-finals.
The Argentine said: ‘Penalty shootouts are one the most high-pressure moments of the game, but for me, I see it as an opportunity to channel that energy to my advantage.
Argentina star Emiliano Martinez has opened up on his successful penalty shootout routines
The 31-year-old has developed a reputation for coming out on top in shootouts after his triumphs during the 2022 World Cup for Argentina
‘When standing on the goal line, I try to maintain a clear mindset and stay focused. I allow my intuition to play a role, paying close attention to what the shooter is doing – their run up, their body shape – and use this to form my decision on what my next movement is.
‘Following my session with adidas and neuro11, it was interesting to see data which proved that when the pressure is on, I am more in the zone and perform better– as it reinforced my own evaluation.’
During penalty shootout testing, Martínez showed that he excelled under pressure, as he was 90% more in the optimal zone during high pressure moments in the penalties test.
The study also showed to him to be three times more effective at harnessing pressure to get into the optimal zone compared to the grassroots goalkeeper.
Back in 2022, Martinez established himself as an Argentina legend after helping his side beat France 4-2 on penalties to win the World Cup.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper was credited with putting off some of the France players, prior to them missing spot-kicks.
The 30-year-old walked away with Golden Glove award as well as a winners medal.
