Aston Villa goalkeeper accused of slapping a cameraman

The camera operator, Jhonny Jackson, has now claimed he was himself struck.

He told reporters: "Out of the blue he (Martinez) slapped me. I felt angry, very angry. I was working, just like he was. He was playing and I was shooting with my camera."

Jackson, who works for a company which delivers footage to South American channels Caracol Televisión and RCN Deportes, also sent Martinez a message.

It read: “Dibu, my brother, how are you? I am Jhonny Jackson, the cameraman you assaulted in the match against Colombia.

“I wanted to tell you it is all good, my brother. Everyone has lost a match in their life. This defeat clearly meant a lot to you. But look ahead, Dibu."

Martinez has been criticised by Colombia’s association of sports journalists, Acord, called on Fifa to take action against the goalkeeper.

In a statement, the Acord president Faiver Hoyos Hernández said that Martínez had attacked freedom of expression.

"As the journalistic authority in this country, ACORD wants FIFA to produce an exemplary sanction against Mr. Emiliano Dibú Martínez, who is no role model for new generations," he said.

Argentina were beaten 2-1 on the night but still lead the South American group by two points from their rivals.

Martinez had already courted controversy during the international break by repeating his lewd gesture from the 2022 World Cup final with the Copa America trophy.