PARIS (Reuters) -Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was greeted with a barrage of boos, whistles and insults by the Paris St Germain fans ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.
The Argentine international, dubbed a 'specialist in provocation' by French sports daily L'Equipe, was seen wearing a hat that celebrated the Albicelestes' success while covering up a French cockerel emblem on Tuesday.
Martinez taunted Kylian Mbappe after he was key in Argentina beating France on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final and made vulgar gestures as he received the tournament's golden glove.
He also shushed the Lille crowd as Villa eliminated Lille on penalties in last season's Europa Conference League.
"He is mature, he is responsible, he is getting better at controlling his emotions," Villa coach Unai Emery said on Tuesday.
"When he arrived at Aston Villa five or six years ago and now, it is different."
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Clare Fallon)
