A little known law in the UEFA rulebooks allowed Emi Martinez to avoid being sent off despite being booked twice in Aston Villa's dramatic penalty shootout win over Lille in the Europa Conference League.
The Argentina goalkeeper was booked for time wasting during the match and then shown a second yellow card during the penalty shootout for antagonising Lille fans, who had targeted him all night, behind the goal.
But Martinez remained on the pitch because any yellow cards shown during the match do not carry over into a penalty shootout and are automatically rest.
The rule, IFAB law 10 (determining the outcome of a match), states that: "Warnings and cautions (YCs) issued during the match (including during extra time) are not carried forward into kicks from the penalty mark (KFPM).
"A player who receives a YC during both the match and the KFPM is not sent off."
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That reset meant that Martinez was allowed to continue in goal for the shootout, much to the amusement of fans on social media and others watching at home before the situation was clarified on TNT Sports.
Unfortunately for Lille, Martinez made the most of his reprieve by saving the decisive penalty to send Unai Emery's men through to the semi-finals of the competition.
The 31-year-old was the subject of abuse from the stands throughout the match from Lille fans who had not forgotten his antics in the penalty shootout against France in the 2022 World Cup final.
Aston Villa are now through to the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League after Martinez's heroics (Getty Images)Some fans even attempted to storm the pitch in an attempt to get to the Aston Villa shot-stopper as he walked towards his goal at kick-off, only for stewards to intervene.
Martinez expressed his bemusement after the match when he was asked about his second booking in the shootout. He told TNT Sports: "I've just got a bad reputation for time wasting because the other goalie was doing the same thing. But I get booked after 30 minutes when we're losing the game. I don't know what the ref wants from me.
"Then there was no ball on the penalty spot [in the shootout] so I asked the ball-boy for a ball, and then I get booked! I just don't understand the rules."
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