New Delhi: Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been accused of assaulting a TV cameraman following Colombia’s 2-1 victory in a World Cup qualifying match held in Barranquilla. The incident, which took place after the final whistle, was reported by Johnny Jackson, an employee responsible for delivering footage to Caracol Television and RCN Deportes.
Jackson approached Martinez, who was greeting a fellow player at the time when the altercation allegedly took place.
Footage from the incident shows Martinez, visibly frustrated after the loss, swinging at the camera, which tumbles to the ground upon impact. The cameraman told the media that he was slapped “out of the blue” by Martinez.” He added that he was doing his job and Martinez was doing his and the altercation wasn’t necessary.
Emiliano Martinez was not a happy lad last night. 😠 pic.twitter.com/fx84wMXnpW
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) September 11, 2024
Goalkeeper
Following the incident, Jackson even reached out to Martinez in a personal message, acknowledging the emotional toll of the loss, “Dibu, my brother, how are you? I am Jhonny Jackson, the cameraman you assaulted in the match against Colombia.” He mentioned that in his text, he had told Martinez that there were no hard feelings from his side. He ended the text stating that every player loses games, and this one meant a lot to Martinez but he should move on from the game.
However, the incident has caused concern among Colombia’s sports media community. In response to the incident, Colombia’s association of sports journalists, known as ACORD wants FIFA to take disciplinary actions against Emiliano Martinez. The president of ACORD, Faiver Hoyos Hernandez said in a statement that Martinez clearly attacked “freedom of expression”.
He has mentioned that as a journalistic authority in this country, ACORD wants FIFA to produce a cautionary sanction against Mr. Emiliano Dibu Martínez. As per him, Martinez can’t be a role model for new generations.
As of now, neither Martinez nor Argentina’s football federation has issued a response to the accusations, and CONMEBOL has yet to comment on whether disciplinary actions will be considered.
Despite this controversy, Argentina remains at the top of the South American World Cup qualifying standings with 18 points from eight matches, maintaining a narrow lead of two points over Colombia. All teams are left with two more qualifying matches next month. The top six teams will automatically get a spot in the 2026 World Cup.
Colombia’s ACORD demands FIFA investigate Martinez for alleged camera assault after the match. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
