Lisandro Martinez has issued a formal apology for his extraordinary post-match outburst following Manchester United's 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid, after meeting with the club's senior leadership on Thursday.
The Argentina international launched a scathing attack on United's decision-makers immediately after Tuesday's loss in Spain, where goals from Pablo Barrios and Ademola Lookman secured victory for the hosts, with United defender Leny Yoro sent off late in the match. During his immediate post-match interview, Martinez expressed frustration at the lack of summer investment in the squad and singled out technical director Jason Wilcox for criticism.
On Wednesday evening, Martinez released a lengthy statement seeking to provide context for his remarks, emphasising that his words stemmed from his deep investment in the club's success and his desire to see United competing for major honours. However, he stopped short of offering a formal apology at that stage.
My words reflect how I feel and how much I want to see this club competing for the biggest honours. Those high standards are part of how I see football and the responsibility that comes with wearing this shirt. When I talk about wanting more, I'm talking about the ambition we must all have as part of this club.
That changed on Thursday night after Martinez met with the club's hierarchy, including Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada, with head coach Michael Carrick also present at the meeting. Following those discussions, the defender released a new statement in which he offered a direct apology for his conduct.
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. 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.
It was understood to be Martinez's own decision to publicly apologise, with any disciplinary decisions or internal conversations to remain private between him and the club. Sky Sports News reported that United now consider the matter closed as they prepare for their match against Leeds on Sunday.
The original outburst and its context
During his post-match interview on Tuesday, Martinez had stated:
I expect more from our technical director [meaning director of football, Jason Wilcox]. We expect more from the top, from upstairs, to bring in more players to compete.
According to The Athletic, Martinez also told CBS Sports that "for me, we don't have the best squad at the moment compared with other teams," and said the club needed "more ambition." He added that United had "created the base to create an amazing team" the previous season, but that the club had not followed through with further squad investment.
The loss to Atletico extended United's winless run to five matches across all competitions, adding to the frustration that prompted Martinez's outburst.
The defender's remarks generated significant tension within Old Trafford. Sources indicated there was anger and bemusement in both the United boardroom and the changing room, with at least one other player challenging Martinez over his comments as the squad boarded the plane to return to Manchester following the defeat.
However, there is understood to be no internal pressure on Wilcox regarding his position at the club. The suggestion implicit in Martinez's criticism—that his current team-mates lack the quality to compete at the highest level—had not been well received by other players in the squad.
Disciplinary action and the broader context
Prior to Thursday's meeting and apology, ESPN reported that United were assessing possible disciplinary measures in the wake of his comments. People connected to United described Martinez's criticism as unprecedented, with club sources telling The Athletic that a fine had been considered inevitable.
In his Wednesday statement, Martinez had acknowledged his own responsibility in the team's struggles and stated that the players must first and foremost deliver on the pitch.
I know that, first and foremost, it's us, the players, who have to deliver, and I put myself at the front of that responsibility. We need to demand even more of ourselves and work together to take Manchester United back to the top. I believe in my team-mates, our manager and everyone working to help this club move forward. I'm convinced that the way forward is to keep working together, with ambition and commitment.
The 28-year-old had also reaffirmed his commitment to winning and competing at the highest level for the club.
My goal has been the same since day one, to win, to compete at the highest level and to give everything I have for this badge.
Martinez's contract future and transfer history
The incident had raised fresh questions about Martinez's long-term future at Manchester United. His contract is set to expire in the summer, and the club holds a formal option to extend his stay for a further year, though that decision has not yet been made.
United are planning to overhaul their defensive options in the coming transfer windows, with recruitment plans extending to both centre-back and left-back positions. The club's hierarchy will need to carefully manage the situation with Martinez, who remains a key component of Michael Carrick's squad despite the recent tensions.
Martinez has previously expressed a desire to leave Old Trafford. In the summer transfer window, he pushed for a move to Atletico Madrid—the very club that defeated United on Tuesday—to reunite with his close friend and Argentina international team-mate Cristian Romero, who had transferred from Tottenham to Spain. No suitable bid materialised for United to consider at that time.
This is not the first occasion on which Martinez has made explosive public statements about his club's leadership. While at Ajax in 2022, he made similarly controversial remarks about the club's direction, calling sporting director Gerry Hamstra a
nobodyduring a period when he was again seeking to engineer a departure.
