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After going through the effort of contacting John Terry about wearing his beloved No. 26 jersey, Emiliano Martínez has switched to the No. 1 shirt after just a single appearance.
All 717 of Terry's senior outings for Chelsea featured the iconic No. 26 on his back. Though never officially retired, it was remarkable that no player dared to don that number during the first five seasons following Terry's departure from his boyhood club. Kalidou Koulibaly felt obliged to call the retired England international to seek his blessing before taking on the digits in 2022—permission he eventually received after Terry initially hung up, believing it to be a prank call.
Martínez had Terry as an assistant coach at Aston Villa and promptly reached out to the former defender about the club and his old number. "John was someone I spoke to before I joined, and he said he was over the moon to have me here," the goalkeeper revealed shortly after completing his summer transfer. "The morning I signed, I texted him and said, 'I'm wearing your shirt, and I'm going to do it with pride.'"
That pride evidently didn't last beyond Martínez's debut.
After conceding three goals in a chaotic win over Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, Martínez abandoned No. 26 in favor of No. 1. Rather than any act of superstition, this was simply a matter of availability.
At the time of Martínez's debut, Robert Sánchez was still on Chelsea's books. The displaced No. 1 eventually secured a move to Serie A newcomers Como on Deadline Day, leaving his squad number open.
As Martínez had hinted, he held no deep personal attachment to the number. "I remember using the 26 on loan a few times at previous clubs," the former Arsenal goalkeeper shrugged. No. 23 is Martínez's preferred choice—he willingly gave up the No. 1 shirt at Aston Villa to wear that particular number.
"I won all the trophies with the national team with the No. 23," Argentina's World Cup winner explained at the time. "[It's] the day my boy was born. ... I'm really superstitious, to be fair," Martínez added. "It's a truly special number."
With No. 23 already claimed by fellow summer signing Geovany Quenda, Martínez had no choice but to settle for No. 1.
Why Is Emiliano Martinez Allowed to Change Shirt Numbers in the Same Season?
According to the Premier League Handbook: "While he remains with the club a player will retain his shirt number throughout the season for which it was allocated."
However, there is an additional clause stating: "Upon a player leaving a club the shirt number allocated to him may be re-allocated."
Sánchez departed Chelsea on Sept. 1, and the Blues subsequently re-allocated his No. 1 to Martínez. While that may have frustrated supporters who had already purchased shirts bearing 'Martínez 26' on the back, the Argentine had a solution at hand.
Martinez's Charitable Offer to Chelsea Fans
As part of the announcement confirming Martínez's number change, Chelsea revealed that the 34-year-old had personally offered to sign every shirt bearing his name and the incorrect number.
Fans have until Oct. 4 to drop off their jerseys at Stamford Bridge, along with proof of an official purchase, for Martínez to sign with his marker. Should the reigning Europa League champion add to his trophy-laden résumé in west London, those mistaken Martínez shirts could become a treasured piece of niche memorabilia in the years ahead.