Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has admitted regret over his taunts of Holland coach Louis van Gaal.

Martinez took aim at LVG after Argentina's World Cup penalty shootout win.

He told France Football: "Netherlands- Argentina is a classic in world football. Before the match, we looked for each other a bit. They said they were going to beat us, too. They talked a little too much… And we reacted.

"In the end, their statements fueled our flame and, in the end, we exploded. It was a tense match, on both sides there were behaviors that we could have avoided. We are talking about a match for a place in the semis, so, of course, it was a battle.

"(Louis) Van Gaal had said that if they went to penalties, they would beat us. Maybe I opened him up a little too much after the match (he verbally attacked the Dutch coach). I recognise that I should have had more respect for this gentleman."