Inter Sticking with Under Fire New Top Goalie Martinez

Josep Martinez, Inter's new top goalkeeper, faced criticism after committing a slip-up early in a match against Real Madrid. The error, involving losing possession while attempting to play Federico Valverde inside the box, resulted in an easily preventable goal. However, Martinez demonstrated his value through subsequent outstanding saves against Real Madrid's star players.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, both Inter and Christian Chivu, who has faith in Martinez as the goalkeeper, have not lost trust in his abilities. The 35-year-old ex-Genoa goalkeeper was chosen as the starting goalie for the upcoming season following Yann Sommer's contract not being renewed. Ivan Provedel joined Inter to serve as a dependable backup, rather than a direct competitor.

While Martinez will likely receive limited opportunities and be part of a standard rotation, he has been praised for his impressive reaction to the incident. The goalkeeper's footwork has been a strong point, but he has faced some challenges in recent times, as evidenced by a recent close call in a Champions League game. Inter made the decision a few years ago, after parting ways with Samir Handanovic, to rely on a quality goalkeeper rather than a world-class shot-stopper.

This choice has led to some consequences, but Inter felt compelled to give Martinez the starting position to justify their investment. Despite his limited upside, Martinez remains a serviceable goalkeeper. The speculation over his role as the top choice for several years is expected to intensify throughout the campaign.