Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez posted a statement on social media a day after his outbursts following the defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Lisandro Martinez has dominated headlines over the last two days.(Image: 2026 UEFA)
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Manchester United's players have returned to training this morning, meaning Lisandro Martinez will soon discover whether he will face any disciplinary action over his post-Atletico Madrid outburst.
Martinez has dominated headlines after an extraordinary interview following the loss to Atletico, where he ripped into Jason Wilcox and United for failing to invest more over the summer.
The defender said what every fan has been thinking, but there will likely be consequences, despite Martinez posting a statement on social media on Wednesday night to try to smooth over the situation.
“Following everything that has been said about my comments yesterday, I want to share some thoughts on what I said and how I feel," Martinez wrote on Instagram.
“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. 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. 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.
“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 also work together to take Manchester United back to the top.
“I believe in my teammates, our manager, everyone working to help this club move forward. I’m convinced that the way forward is to keep working together, with ambition and commitment. My goal has been the same since day one, to win, to compete at the highest level, to give everything I have for this badge”.
Martinez ripped into Wilcox and United.(Image: Amazon Prime)
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Martinez backed down to some extent, trying to provide context to his comments and saying the players must take responsibility first and foremost, but crucially, there was no apology in the statement. Many have suggested his spiky comments were fuelled by adrenaline so soon after the full-time whistle, but it's clear he stands by what he said.
Whether the absence of an apology affects the potential punishment remains to be seen. United sources have remained tight-lipped about what disciplinary action Martinez could face until the outcome is confirmed, but a fine at the least seems inevitable in the circumstances.
Martinez's rant has torched the notion that United have a happy dressing room. Some players agree with his comments, while others disagree with the manner in which they were made, but Martinez publicly confirmed there is frustration over the failure to address gaps in the squad.
Against last season's Champions League semi-finalists, a team sitting second in La Liga that had just beaten Real Madrid, United played with a winger up front and a centre-back at left-back, all because two obvious positions were overlooked in the transfer window.
Luke Shaw started every Premier League game last season, becoming just the fifth United player to do so, but a quick glance at his injury record shows that his body would not be able to handle two games per week.
It was also obvious that a striker needed to be signed. Benjamin Sesko is the only recognised striker in the squad and he missed all of pre-season through injury.
There were hints of frustration before Martinez spoke his mind. In August, Harry Maguire said he wanted "competition for places" and that he wanted United to add "the best players" in front of him.
Shaw said: “I'm sure there will be a couple of additions to the squad, which is needed to make it stronger.”
Martinez during the Atletico Madrid game.
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It must be mentioned that there could be other factors at play in Martinez's outburst. It felt like a calculated first step to leave the club (he is out of contract in June), but he deserves praise for having the bottle to criticise a failing regime.
The ironic thing is that even if Wilcox wanted Martinez banished from the first team, which would be a drastic measure, the squad is not in a position to do so, even though he's underperformed this season.
United have three senior injury-prone centre-backs (Martinez, Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt) and two younger defenders, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, who are not battle-hardened in the Premier League.
That should be considered when disciplinary action for Martinez is decided - and Michael Carrick will have his say. Martinez suggested Carrick should have been given more signings and backed him in his Instagram statement, but his comment on the team's style of play won't have gone unnoticed by the United head coach.
When Martinez was asked whether the problem was Carrick not being backed enough, he said: "I don't think so. He does his best.
"But every season is different. You cannot say what you did last season. The teams know how you play, the teams know every detail, you know? And if you don't change, next season is a big problem."
Carrick has attempted to change the team's style of play this season, so it seemed Martinez was having another dig at the board for not giving him the tools to so successfully, but others have interpreted it differently.
The situation is a mess, but the story is not yet wrapped up.