This summer saw plenty of international football with the UEFA Euros and the Copa America taking center stage.
Following the conclusion of the Euros, Belgium and Borussia Dortmund defender Thomas Meunier made some controversial comments stating that the Euro is even more gratifying than winning the World Cup because of the teams and the level shown.
Meunier went on to say the European Championship is like being a world champion since the best teams and players are in Europe. The 29-year-old added that except for Brazil, the best national teams are in Europe.
These comments didn’t sit well with Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez spoke with Olé (via Marca) regarding these comments made by Meunier.
“I have read comments from players who say that the Eurocup is the best Cup, that it is like a World Cup, that the best (national) teams are in Europe snd, it surprised me a lot. Because we all know that the best players in the world are in South America,” Martínez said. “The Premier League is the best in the world, without a doubt. I have played there; I have now played a Copa América. The field is ugly, with heat, with height.”
“It is another football; it is impossible to adapt so quickly. I had played 50 games this season, but 42 on billiards courts. Then we went to Brazil, which was a disaster. And I had to adapt as quickly as possible. It was like playing again in Mar de Plata. It’s something that I already I had lived it. But for a European, going to play there doesn’t give two passes in a row.”
It will be interesting to see whether Argentina and Belgium face each other at the World Cup next year because these comments will resurface as a storyline. Nonetheless, Martínez defended what his national team accomplished this summer for the South American country.