Khaberni - Josep Martinez, goalkeeper for Inter Milan, got involved in the death of an 81-year-old man early this Tuesday morning, after hitting him with his car.
The Italian newspaper "La Gazzetta dello Sport" reported that Martinez was involved in a tragic traffic accident that resulted in the death of an elderly man who was riding an electric wheelchair near the club's training center in Abbiato Gentile.
The accident occurred around 9:40 AM local time, on Via Bergamo in the Vinigo area of Como province, close to Inter's training facilities.
Despite the quick arrival of an ambulance and an air ambulance at the accident scene, the elderly man lost his life on the spot.
The Italian police are currently investigating to reconstruct the accident's details and determine the precise reasons for its occurrence.
According to "La Gazzetta dello Sport", the initial hypothesis suggests that the elderly man may have suffered a sudden health issue that made him veer into the path of Martinez's vehicle.
The reports confirmed that the Inter goalkeeper immediately stopped his car after the accident and administered first aid to the elderly man in an attempt to save him.
Following the tragic news, Inter Milan decided to cancel the press conference scheduled to be held by coach Christian Chievo at 2:00 PM Central European Time, in mourning for the painful accident.
The reports added that the Spanish goalkeeper was not physically harmed, but he was deeply shocked by the accident.
The Italian police are currently conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the accident.
Inter Milan is preparing to face Fiorentina at San Siro on Wednesday, with Martinez being the team's second goalkeeper, having been on the bench in the 3-1 loss to Napoli last Saturday.
Martinez joined Inter Milan in 2024, coming from Genoa, and has since participated in 12 matches with the team. He began his career at Las Palmas, after spending time in Barcelona's famed "La Masia" academy.
In 2020, he moved to RB Leipzig in Germany, before signing with Genoa two years later, and then making his way to Inter Milan.
Inter Milan's Complaint About Officiating
In another context, Pepe Marotta, president of Inter Milan, believes that Napoli's victory over his team in the Italian League, came after an incorrect penalty call for the home side.
Napoli managed to defeat visiting Inter Milan, with a score of 3-1 last Saturday evening, at the Diego Maradona Stadium, in the eighth round of the Italian League.
Napoli's goals were scored by Kevin De Bruyne from a penalty (33), Scott McTominay, and Franck (54), and Anguissa (66).
While the Turkish player Hakan Calhanoglu scored the only goal for Inter Milan from a penalty (59).
Marotta said in comments to the DAZN network after the match, "I was excited to be with you here to conduct this interview to understand the reason for awarding the penalty."
He added: "Awarding a penalty to Napoli was decisive in altering the course of the match, occurring after the assistant referee, who even though the referee was in an ideal position to assess the situation, saw the incident and turned away, then blew the whistle after 8 seconds."
He continued: "This situation was ideal for a video review which would allow the referee to watch it again and make his own decision."
He confirmed: "Napoli's victory came after that situation, contrary to what Gianluca Rocchi, head of the Italian referees' committee, has stated that no more easy penalties would be awarded, and many journalists and a refereeing expert in your studio said it wasn't a penalty."
Marotta continued, "I was in the locker room at halftime, and it's clear that that penalty had a strong impact on the team's psychological state; I'm not saying that Napoli wouldn't have won anyway, but we are here to protest the manner in which the penalty was awarded."
When asked, whether Lautaro's altercation with Conte was related to their time at Inter, he said "No, such things happen on the field, and we often see it in football, I don't want to say much about it."
An altercation erupted between Napoli coach Antonio Conte and his former player Lautaro Martinez, with players from both teams intervening to prevent the situation from escalating.
Lautaro Martinez played under Antonio Conte when he was coaching Inter Milan.
This was not the first altercation between them, as they had clashed when the Italian coach decided to substitute the Argentine player at Inter Milan.
Antonio Conte has reached 100 points with Napoli after 46 league games, having previously reached this tally after 47 games with Inter Milan.
But his biggest achievement came when he reached this number after only 44 games with Juventus.
With this victory, Napoli regained the lead again with 18 points, benefiting from Milan's draw with Pisa, while Inter Milan's tally froze at 15 points in third place.
