London: Argentina’s super goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez bought a dog worth 20,000 euros (Rs 19 lakh) to guard his World Cup medal.
Britain’s Special Air Service (SAS) and the US. The Navy also used a Belgian Malinois dog in its combat zones for which Martinez had spent Rs 19 lakh. Martinez, a goalkeeper for English Premier League club Aston Villa, lives in the West Midlands.
Martinez played a crucial role in Argentina’s title victory in the World Cup. The star also won the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper in the World Cup.
Martinez’s move comes amid recent incidents of robberies among players at various clubs in Europe. During the World Cup in Qatar, armed attackers attacked the home of England star Raheem Sterling. While playing for Spanish club Barcelona, Pierre Aubameyang and his family were held at gunpoint by assailants who opened a safe and made off with jewelry. Chelsea coach and ex-England star Frank Lampard’s home was also attacked three times by attackers. The jewelery collection was taken away. Benfica defender Nicolas Otamendi was brutally attacked in December 2021.
In January 2022, thieves broke into Manchester United’s Swedish star Viktor Lindelof’s London home while playing a match once morest Brentford. Before the assailants entered, the actor’s wife and two children entered a specially prepared room and locked them up. The star’s wife Maja later said that she was in a state of fear. Attacked in front of his wife and daughter.