Emiliano Martinez has made an unexpected change to his Chelsea shirt number after just one appearance for the club, moving from No.26 to the vacant No.1 shirt.
The Argentina international initially selected No.26 when he completed his £7.5 million move to Chelsea and wore the number during his debut in the club’s 4-3 Premier League victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
However, Martinez will now wear No.1 following the departure of Robert Sanchez on loan to Como. The move left Chelsea’s traditional goalkeeper’s shirt available, paving the way for the former Aston Villa goalkeeper to switch numbers.
Martinez Takes Over No.1 Shirt
Sanchez had previously worn the No.1 shirt at Chelsea but was told he could leave the club following Martinez’s arrival. His subsequent loan move to Como created the opportunity for Martinez to take over the number.
Chelsea confirmed the change on Friday, meaning Martinez is expected to wear No.1 if he is selected for the club’s next match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The change comes only days after Martinez made his first appearance for the Blues, making the decision particularly notable given that supporters had already purchased shirts bearing his original No.26 number.
Rather than leaving fans with unwanted shirts following the unexpected change, Martinez has offered to personally sign the affected jerseys.
Martinez Offers to Sign No.26 Shirts
The former Aston Villa goalkeeper has offered to sign all “Martinez 26” shirts purchased through Chelsea’s official Megastore or the club’s website.
Supporters who purchased one of the shirts will be able to take it to Stamford Bridge for Martinez to sign. Chelsea has set October 4 as the deadline for fans to bring the affected shirts, with proof of purchase also required.
The arrangement provides supporters who bought Martinez’s original No.26 shirt with an opportunity to have the goalkeeper personally sign it following his decision to adopt No.1.
Martinez’s number change therefore comes with an unusual situation for Chelsea supporters, with the goalkeeper having worn No.26 only once before switching to the more familiar No.1 goalkeeper shirt.
Change Follows Chelsea Debut
Martinez’s first Chelsea appearance came in last weekend’s 4-3 win over Brighton at Stamford Bridge, when he lined up wearing the No.26 shirt.
His arrival at Chelsea had initially been followed by the decision to assign him No.26, while Sanchez’s position at the club was affected by Martinez’s arrival. Sanchez was subsequently allowed to leave on loan, with Como becoming his temporary destination.
The vacancy created by Sanchez’s departure has now resulted in Martinez taking the No.1 shirt, with Chelsea formally confirming the switch on Friday.
If selected for Sunday’s meeting with Arsenal at the Emirates, Martinez will therefore make his second Chelsea appearance wearing a different shirt number from the one he used on his debut.
For supporters who purchased the original shirt, the club has provided a specific arrangement allowing the goalkeeper to sign the “Martinez 26” jerseys, provided they are taken to Stamford Bridge by October 4 along with proof of purchase.
The unusual sequence means Martinez has gone from wearing No.26 on his Chelsea debut to becoming the club’s No.1 after only one appearance, with his new number potentially making its first appearance against Arsenal on Sunday.
