Softfootball can confirm Emiliano Martinez has changed his Chelsea shirt number just days after receiving John Terry’s approval to wear the iconic No.26 shirt at Stamford Bridge.
The Argentina international completed a late move to Chelsea from Aston Villa in a £7.5 million deal and initially selected the No.26, a number famously associated with former Blues captain Terry.
Martinez even wore the shirt during his Chelsea debut, helping the Blues secure a dramatic 4-3 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge last Sunday.
However, the goalkeeper has now switched to the No.1 shirt following Robert Sanchez’s loan move to Como, which left Chelsea’s traditional goalkeeper number vacant.
Chelsea have confirmed that Martinez has opted to take the No.1 shirt, meaning supporters who purchased shirts bearing his name and previous No.26 will now have a unique piece of the goalkeeper’s brief spell wearing Terry’s famous number.
The club has also confirmed that it will not offer exchanges for shirts that have already been purchased.
Instead, Martinez has offered a personal gesture to supporters affected by the change by agreeing to sign the “Martinez 26” shirts that were purchased through the official Chelsea Megastore or the club’s official website.
According to Chelsea, supporters who want Martinez to sign their shirt must bring it to Stamford Bridge alongside proof of purchase by October 4 in order to arrange the signing.
Chelsea stated:
Our summer signing originally took the No.26 shirt for the Blues and wore it in our 4-3 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge.
However, due to Robert Sanchez’s loan move to Como, the No.1 shirt has since become vacant, and our Argentinian international has opted to take that number.
The club added that Martinez had “kindly offered to sign all ‘Martinez 26’ shirts” purchased through the official club channels.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper joined Chelsea following an impressive spell with Aston Villa, where he established himself as one of the Premier League’s leading goalkeepers.
Martinez was part of the Villa team that won the Europa League last season and also represented the club in the Champions League, further strengthening his reputation at the highest level.
His move to Chelsea came after the Blues became increasingly concerned about their goalkeeping situation.
Following another difficult performance from Sanchez during Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over Fulham, the club decided that a change was necessary and moved quickly to secure Martinez before the transfer window closed.
The Argentine immediately made an impact on his debut against Brighton, producing several important saves as Chelsea eventually held on for a 4-3 victory.
During his unveiling, Martinez also revealed that he had spoken with Terry before taking the legendary No.26 shirt.
The former Chelsea captain gave Martinez his blessing to wear the number, making the goalkeeper’s decision to initially take No.26 particularly significant.
Now, however, Martinez has moved on to No.1, with Chelsea’s former goalkeeper number becoming available following Sanchez’s departure.
For supporters who already purchased the No.26 shirt, Martinez’s offer to personally sign them provides a memorable solution to what could otherwise have been an awkward situation.
