Man Utd announces punishment for Lisandro Martinez over his Atletico Madrid comments as the player shares a statement
Manchester United have taken official action against Lisandro Martinez after his strong comments following Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid.
The defender used his post-match talk with Amazon Prime to express disappointment with the club’s leaders and the support for the manager, Michael Carrick. Martinez said he expected more from ‘upstairs,’ meaning Director of Football Jason Wilcox. Although the club signed Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Karl Darlow, and Carlos Baleba in the summer, they didn’t bring in any other first-team players for different positions.
Now, Martinez has shared a longer message on Instagram, apologizing for what he said. The 28-year-old explained that he spoke with the club’s leaders earlier on Thursday.
“Today I met with the club’s leadership and the manager,” Martinez said. “It was a very positive talk where we shared our views and openly discussed what happened after Tuesday’s game. Everyone knows I’m passionate and live football deeply. The frustration from the defeat made me say things at the wrong time and place, and I’m sorry for that.”
He added, “Our club is strongest when we’re united, and I see that my words didn’t help with that. I know everyone at Manchester United is working hard to reach our shared goal of bringing success to the club and fans. Now that this is behind us, we’re fully focused on winning together.”
BBC Sport confirmed Martinez was fined by the club, and they believe the issue is settled. He’s expected to be ready for the match against Leeds United on Sunday.
Martinez has been a well-liked player since joining United from Ajax in 2022. Despite facing several injuries, including a serious knee problem that almost kept him out for a year, fans admire his passion on and off the field. He’s won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in England and the World Cup with Argentina.
His contract ends after this season, though United can extend it by one year. Reports say Martinez doesn’t want that option used, meaning he could leave for free next summer. Other veteran defenders, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, are also out of contract, so United will likely need a big defensive rebuild.
While many fans support Martinez’s honesty, some club legends have criticized his attitude. Former captain Roy Keane said it makes the club look like a ‘circus’ without ‘men’ in the dressing room. Gary Neville called it a ‘direct attack’ on teammates, saying on his podcast: “If I were Harry Maguire or Bruno Fernandes, or any senior player, I’d be really angry because he’s basically saying we shouldn’t be here and the club should bring in more players.”
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