Lisandro Martinez has defended his outburst against the Manchester United hierarchy but stopped short of apologising. The Argentinian defender says he wants to help lead United back to the summit of English and European football, and that the club’s current plight has left him hurt.
Martinez made headlines after his comments following Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid, when he criticised the Old Trafford hierarchy for a lack of investment in the squad. Michael Carrick’s side have welcomed Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, but the centre-back felt compelled to highlight a shortage of reinforcements and competition across the pitch.
The loss in the Spanish capital extended United’s run without a win to five matches in all competitions. They now travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday, and sit 13th in the table.
Martinez explains his comments
On Wednesday, Martinez posted a statement to his Instagram story. He wrote: “Following everything that has been said about my comments yesterday, I want to share some thoughts on what I said and how I feel.”
He added: “After the match, I spoke out of anger and frustration at not getting the result we all wanted. Those who know me know how I live football, with passion, commitment and a huge desire to win. And when things don’t go our way, it hurts, especially when representing a club with the history and stature of Manchester United.”
Martinez also stressed that his message was about ambition rather than criticism alone. “When I talk about wanting more, I’m talking about the ambition we must all have as part of this club,” he said. “To keep growing, to become stronger and to have everything we need to compete at the highest level. These are standards we must all hold ourselves to, starting with me.”
He took personal responsibility, saying: “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.” He concluded: “I believe in my teammates, our manager and everyone working to help this club move forward.”
What he said after the defeat
Martinez was far more direct in his post-match interview. He said: “We did a fantastic season last season and now we expect more from the top, more players to compete because many teams bring many players as well.”
He praised the visitors before turning his attention to the club’s structure. “Atletico have an amazing team and they deserved to win today. I expect more [investment]. 100%. I expect more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox].”
He also acknowledged the players’ role in the defeat. “I have to be honest, as players we have to do more but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night.”
Martinez then questioned where the blame should fall. “Tonight it is easy to [blame] the coach, easy to say the players but also we have to see other areas. You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can’t say more.” He finished by reflecting on the previous campaign: “Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team.”
Possible sanction and uncertain future
United have given the squad a day off as part of their routine recovery following matches, and Carrick is set to address reporters on Friday.
Reports suggest Martinez could face sanctions for his outburst. Sky Sports have also reported that the former Ajax defender’s future is uncertain after he criticised the Old Trafford hierarchy. A teammate is reported to have confronted him on the squad’s flight home.