Kepa Arrizabalaga’s girlfriend responds to “unfair” Spanish keeper’s critics after penalty nightmare
2 min readKepa Arrizabalaga’s girlfriend has hit back at the Spanish keeper’s critics after his nightmare performance during Chelsea’s defeat on penalties to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
The shot-stopper was brought on for the Wembley shootout, but he failed to save any of Liverpool’s 11 spot-kicks and blasted his penalty high over the bar, handing the title to the Reds.
It was a cruel finish to the competition for Kepa, who had played a key role in the Blues’ route to the final, including critical saves in two previous shootouts.
But, while Thomas Tuchel hoped Kepa would be the hero for Chelsea, he turned out to be the villain after replacing Edouard Mendy, who had been named man of the match.
Following the game, Kepa was chastised for his theatrics in attempting to deter Liverpool’s penalty takers, who missed all 11 attempts.
In the midst of that criticism, Kepa has now received the backing of his girlfriend Andrea Martinez, who won the Miss Universe Spain in 2020.
The 29-year-old was in stands at Wembley to see the showpiece event and has now launched a staunch criticism of her partner.
Kepa Arrizabalaga’s girlfriend, Martinez, called upon her experience of being a basketball player, having represented her country at under-15 level, to hit back at her boyfriend’s critics.
“One of the things I’ve learned when I was a basketball player was that a team is always a team. “There are no heroes, there are no villains,” Martinez wrote on Instagram.
“In my personal opinion,n this is a very unfair situation, and I’m not just talking about today. Real supporters must show the love today, not just when we win.
“@kepaarrizabalaga we are so proud of you, as a goalkeeper and even more as a person.
“Humble, brilliant, kind, generous, intelligent, hard-working, talented, and the most beautiful soul I’ve ever met. This is just the small line of a huge book. Let’s go my boy, let’s go guys. Love you.”
His boss Tuchel has also moved to defend the keeper, insisting that any blame for Chelsea’s defeat should be blamed on him, not Kepa.
“If you want to blame someone, blame me. I took the decisions and I don’t take them to be the hero. We have reasons. I try to explain the reasons,” Tuchel said.
Also read,
Kepa Arrizabalaga breaks silence after penalty miss in Carabao Cup final defeat
Follow us
