Interview

'I bet all my family in Argentina are crying!'

Emi Martinez was close to tears after lifting the Emirates FA Cup - but said his family back in Argentina would not be able to hold back the emotions.

The goalkeeper has been with us for 10 years and, after another assured performance at Wembley, said winning the trophy was reward for all the patience he has shown waiting for his chance.

 

"It was an amazing performance," Martinez told Arsenal Digital. "We played our best football this season by far and even losing 1-0 - normally this season when we’re losing 1-0 we put our heads down - and you can see the process [now] and how we fight for the manager, ourselves and our families.

 

"I think we made the Arsenal fans really proud today and obviously they’ve deserved a lot more from us, especially in the Premier League and in Europe. We’ve had a bad season in the Prem, but we’ve won a trophy so we want them to be happy.

 

"I felt really confident even before the game and in the semi final and all the way through in the FA Cup. That’s what I do best, I work hard and everyone says when you work hard you get your rewards and I think I did that today.

 

"I’ve worked really hard at the club for 10 years for opportunities like this. I couldn’t be prouder.

 

"I spoke to [my family] the whole week and my dad didn’t want to speak a lot about it because he was too nervous, but I bet in Argentina