Federation International Football Association (FIFA) are set to introduce anti-Emi Martinez rules, that will hinder a goalkeeper from confusing a player taking a penalty.
The International Football governing board have an upcoming AGM in London on Saturday, 4th of March, 2023, where they are expected to discuss rules that guide the game.
And it looks that one of the probable rule changes is related to Martinez’s contentious theatrics in the penalty shootout following last year’s World Cup final between France and Argentina in Qatar.
To undermine the opposition’s confidence, the 30-year-old deployed psychological tricks. He tried to get inside Kingsley Coman’s brain and caused referee Szymon Marciniak to kindly step in.
Martinez’s theatrics continued when he attempted to confront Kolo Muani. But if the new regulation is implemented, the Argentine will need to reconsider his strategies for saving a penalty kick.
When the IFAB meets on March 4, according to the Spanish daily Marca, they will be prepared to take a position against such behavior.
Goalkeepers would be forbidden from “distracting the penalty takers,” which would include things like delaying the execution of the penalty or touching the goal posts, crossbar, or goal itself, according to the board’s proposed rule.
In addition, the new rule, which is one of several new regulations that are expected to be implemented, is expected to take effect at the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign.
According to Marca, goals will not be ruled out of bounds if a substitute player flinches onto the field of play as long as they are not directly involved in the scoring play.
Meanwhile, goal celebrations will become part of added time – something that has regularly been ignored until now.
Time squandering is seen as a major problem in modern football, according to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has proposed some drastic measures to address the issue.
Without exaggeration, Argentina wouldn’t have become the World champions if not for Emi Martinez.
Martinez’s last-gasp save of the World Cup final against Randal Kolo Muani of France kept Argentina in the game and resulted in a penalty shootout.
During the shootouts, the 30-year-old threw the ball away, said things like “I’ve watched you!” to France’s penalty takers in an attempt to intimidate them, and loudly celebrated each saves.
Football psychologist Geir Jordet prepared a thorough Twitter thread on Martinez’s antics during the World Cup final penalty shootout, concluding: “Emi Martinez’s mind games are massive, unpredictable & calculated.
“He’s like the Machiavelli of football, inspiring opponents to adapt their strategies to counter his.”
Martinez used quite similar strategies to defeat the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the World Cup and Colombia in the semi-finals of the 2021 Copa America.
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