Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
Emiliano Martinez has made a swift and surprising change to his Chelsea shirt number, swapping the No. 26 jersey for the coveted No. 1 just one week after joining the club and making a single appearance. The switch comes following the loan departure of fellow goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to Italian side Como, which vacated the No. 1 shirt and allowed the Argentine international to claim the traditional number for a first-choice goalkeeper.
Martinez, who completed a £7.5 million move from Aston Villa last week, initially chose the No. 26 shirt. The decision was a deliberate and respectful nod to Chelsea legend John Terry, who famously wore the number during his illustrious career at Stamford Bridge. The 34-year-old goalkeeper had personally sought and received Terry's blessing to wear the iconic number. "I remember using the 26 on loan a few times with previous clubs, and of course I knew John Terry famously had the 26 here," Martinez said upon his arrival. "John was someone I spoke to before I joined, and he said he was over the moon to have me here... The morning I signed, I texted him and said, 'I'm wearing your shirt, and I'm going to do it with pride'".
Martinez wore the No. 26 shirt in his debut for the Blues, a thrilling 4-3 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge. However, his tenure with that squad number proved to be short-lived. The departure of Robert Sanchez on loan to Como on deadline day opened up the No. 1 jersey. Chelsea confirmed the change on Friday, stating that Martinez "has opted to take that number". He is now set to wear the No. 1 shirt if selected against his former club Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
In a gesture of goodwill toward fans who may have already purchased this season's shirt with "Martinez 26" on the back, the Argentine goalkeeper has offered to personally sign all affected shirts. Supporters who bought the shirts through Chelsea's official Megastore or website will have until October 4 to bring them to Stamford Bridge, along with proof of purchase, for Martinez to autograph. The move has been praised as a classy touch, acknowledging the financial and emotional investment of fans who rushed to get the new signing's name on their backs.
The shirt-number saga adds an intriguing footnote to the beginning of Martinez's Chelsea career. While he had the blessing of a club legend to wear his old number, the allure of the No. 1 shirt—traditionally the symbol of a team's primary goalkeeper—proved too strong to resist once it became available.
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