Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez has apologised for publicly criticising the club’s hierarchy. The Argentine defender had expressed his frustration with the club’s direction following their 2-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Martinez met manager Michael Carrick and other senior club officials on Thursday. According to a BBC report, the club has formally fined the defender. He later took to Instagram to apologise and confirm that the meeting had taken place.
“Today I met with the club’s leadership and the manager. It was a very positive conversation, where we were able to exchange views and speak openly about what happened after Tuesday’s game,” Martinez wrote on his Instagram handle.
“Everyone knows that I am a passionate person and that I live football with great intensity. The frustration of the defeat led me to express how I felt at a time and place that perhaps were not the right ones, and for that I want to apologise.
“Our club is at its best when we are all united, and I recognise that my words in that moment did not help with that. I know that every single person at Manchester United is doing everything possible to achieve our shared ambition: bringing the success that this club and its supporters deserve.
“With this situation now behind us, we are fully focused on winning together.”
Why Lisandro Martinez criticised Manchester United’s hierarchy
The meeting followed Martinez’s scathing comments about the club after the Atlético match. The defender criticised the squad assembled by United and argued that Carrick had been left under-equipped for the season. In his post-match interview, Martinez also said United should have provided more resources to compete in the Champions League.
Martinez’s criticism was specifically directed at Jason Wilcox, Manchester United’s director of football, whom he referred to as the technical director. “I expect more from our technical director,” he said. The defender felt United had failed to invest adequately in the squad, while their rivals had done a better job of strengthening ahead of the season.
“You start changing, changing, changing managers. But what about other areas?” Martinez said after the match. He defended Michael Carrick’s work as the United manager. While acknowledging that the players needed to perform better, Martinez stated that the problems plaguing the club extended beyond their manager.
Thursday’s apology was not Martinez’s first response to the controversy. On Wednesday, he said he had “spoke[n] out of anger and frustration” and reaffirmed his “belief in my team-mates, our manager and everyone working to help this club move forward.” However, his explicit apology came in an Instagram statement posted after he met with club officials on Thursday.
In his apology, Martinez also spoke about his passion for the game. He acknowledged that his emotions had got the better of him and admitted that the timing and setting of his remarks were inappropriate.
Manchester United have endured a frustrating start to the season, winning just two of their first nine matches across competitions. They sit 13th in the Premier League with six points from six games. The team’s struggles may help explain Martinez’s frustration, which came to the fore after Tuesday’s defeat.
United’s next assignment is against Leeds United at Elland Road on October 18. Carrick is scheduled to address the media at a press conference on October 16, when more clarity could emerge on Martinez’s situation and whether he will be included in the squad for the game.
Notably, Martinez is in the final year of his contract with the club. United have the option to extend his contract by another 12 months, but they have not yet decided whether to exercise it. However, despite the apology, considerable uncertainty remains over his long-term future at Old Trafford, according to BBC Sport. Martinez, though, concluded his own statement on a conciliatory note: “With this situation now behind us, we are fully focused on winning together.”