World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez gets grand reception in Kolkata
The passionate football fans of Kolkata welcomed Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, fondly called ‘Dibu’ by his national team captain Lionel Messi, to the city on Wednesday.
The World Cup Golden Glove winner was surprised to see his fan following in a city thousands of kilometres away from his home base or his club base—some 5,000-odd of whom had turned up. Football, though, has always been the favourite sport of Kolkata—for over a hundred years, in fact.
Martinez’s reception was organised by Mohun Bagan Super Giant—the oldest football club of Asia (as Mohun Bagan)—which won the 2022-23 edition of the Indian Super League.
Among other things, ‘Dibu’ garlanded a statue of the Argentina legend Diego Maradona and received a replica of the Golden Glove memento he won at the Qatar World Cup.
Martinez was visibly elated at the overwhelming reception, spreading his arms in acknowledgement before saying “I love you Kolkata”.
From Kolkata, Martinez flew to the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met him and, reportedly, requested him to bring the Argentina team to the city.
