Izuchukwu OkosiAston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, has curiously bought a £20,000 guard dog to protect his family and his 2022 FIFA World Cup medal.
Martinez was a key member of the Argentina team that defeated France to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and was awarded the Best Goalkeeper Award.
The former Arsenal custodian has continued to face criticism lately, for his celebrations and for mocking France star, Kylian Mbappe after the victorious night in Qatar.
Martinez was pictured holding a doll with the face of 2018 World Cup winner, Mbappe, moments after the final of the World Cup.
The goalkeeper carried on with his indiscretion when the victorious team arrived in Buenos Aires and went round the city in an open bus parade.
READ ALSO: World Cup Winners, Argentina, Get $42 million FIFA Prize; France Take $30 Million
The 30-year-old has now invested in a Belgian Malinois guard dog to protect his family and the new medal in his collection, the World Cup medal.
The dog which weighs 30kg has been used by the US Navy Seals in combat zones.
Lately, there have been reports of footballers whose houses have been burgled.
The likes of Mikel Arteta (Arsenal manager), Hugo Lloris (France and Tottenham Hotspur keeper) are among the stars who have invested in guard dogs to protect their families.
Martinez returned to Aston Villa training last weekend but was on the substitute bench in the 2-0 win over Tottenham on New Year’s day.
Argentina won the World Cup after a 36-year wait with Diego Maradona spearheading the Albeelceste to their second triumph which was first achieved in 1978.
Lionel Messi, arguably the best player of his generation, captained the team. It was the only medal missing from his rich cabinet.
Messi had announced that the 2022 FIFA World Cup would be his last, but following the win in Qatar, the PSG star has offered to continue his international career with Argentina.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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