Credit: Imago

Declan Carr

Mon 11 May 2026 17:10, UK

Emi Martinez will have to bring his best behaviour when Aston Villa face Freiburg in the Europa League final.

The Villans have a chance to win their first major trophy since 1996, when they beat Leeds United in the League Cup final.

The referee has now been appointed for the contest, and it is Frenchman, Francois Letexier, who will be the man in the middle for the contest.

Jerome Brisard will be on VAR duties, while fellow French officials Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni will acts as assistants with Spaniard Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez as fourth official.

Aston Villa may have a problem, as the Argentinian goalkeeper’s previous antics could come back to haunt them.

Why Martinez may find himself in hot water for Europa League final

Martinez is a hero among Villa fans for the way he winds up the opposition, but rivals fans hate it, and that was the case in the 2022 World Cup final.

The goalkeeper took the headlines due to his mind games and dancing in the shootout, which helped his nation win the tournament, and left Letexier’s country devastated.

Of course, Letexier and his officiating team, will not take that into their thinking when it comes to the contest.

They are professional officials and their integrity is not in question, but it may linger in the back of their minds and lead to a shorter leash for the 33-year-old.

What is Letexier’s record this season and how could it affect Aston Villa?

The referee has handed out 111 yellow cards and seven red cards in 31 matches so far this season, which is an average of 3.5 bookings per game.

Considering the fact that Letexier is clearly not unwilling to hand out yellow and red cards, he may have to be very careful, and reduce his antics considerably if he is to avoid punishment.

Martinez is not afraid to push it to the very limit of what is allowed, or perhaps even slightly exceed that, but he will be taking a big risk if he does that in Istanbul.

He has picked up three yellows cards this season, and a total of 32 in his career, which seems quite high for a goalkeeper.

Villa need him to be on the pitch, and to not get cautioned as then he will not be able to have his full impact between the sticks.