Inter call in psychologist to help Josep Martinez and give goalkeeper week off to help deal with harrowing car crash that resulted in elderly man's death

The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday morning near Inter’s training base in Fenegro, when Martinez’s car struck an elderly man who was crossing the road in a wheelchair. The Spaniard reportedly did his best to help the victim, who was later identified as Paolo Saibene, until emergency services arrived. An air ambulance being called to the scene, but the 81-year-old man was later pronounced dead in hospital.

The Serie A club quickly recognised the seriousness of the situation and moved quickly to support a visibly shaken Martinez. By the time Martinez arrived home on Monday evening, a psychologist was already waiting on him to provide support in coping with the emotional trauma, having been called in by the Milan club. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, teammates and staff have stayed in constant contact, and Inter gave the goalkeeper the week off to recover from the tragic incident.

The incident happened shortly before 10am on Monday, leading Inter to cancel head coach Cristian Chivu’s scheduled pre-match press conference ahead of the Fiorentina game and morale was reportedly low during training, with the thoughts of the players and staff with the victim and the Spanish goalkeeper. 

Club officials are also expected to contact Saibene’s family to offer condolences and support. Meanwhile, Martinez went through routine drug and alcohol tests at Saronno hospital, with club officials present to assist him. Authorities in Como are still reviewing the accident, and a full report from reconstruction experts is expected later this week.

"Unfortunately, a serious and delicate event has occurred," Inter president Beppe Marotta said on Tuesday. "Our deepest sympathies are clearly with the family of the deceased, and we also feel for our player, whom we know very well. These are situations and misfortunes that, unfortunately, are part of everyday life, but I hope that we can also benefit from this tragic situation."

This season had started well for Martinez. Born in Las Palmas, Martinez came through Barcelona’s La Masia academy before joining RB Leipzig in 2020. After two years in Germany, he moved to Genoa and later signed for the Italian giants in the summer of 2024. The Spaniard was beginning to settle in and gain confidence, earning back-to-back starts against Sassuolo and Cagliari as he worked to prove himself as a reliable option behind veteran keeper Yann Sommer.

Martinez won’t return to training until next week as he continues to recover from the emotional shock. The goalkeeper has been in touch with his teammates, coach Chivu, and club officials, who have all reached out to check on him and offer support. The 27-year-old has also stepped away from social media, deactivating his Instagram account to avoid online abuse. Meanwhile, Inter, who are currently fourth in Serie A standings, are doing their best to protect Martinez as he focuses on getting through one of the toughest weeks of his career.