Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the club's board after the defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Lisandro Martinez criticised the club's board.(Image: 2026 Manchester United FC)
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Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has apologised for his post-Atletico Madrid comments following a clear-the-air meeting with Michael Carrick and the club's leadership team at Carrington.
After United's loss to Atletico in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Martinez ripped into Jason Wilcox, saying he "expected more" investment in the squad over the summer, before suggesting that the blame for the poor start to the season lies with the club's decision-makers.
Martinez was one of the last players to report to Carrington on Thursday, and a meeting was held to clear the air following training. United sources have said any internal disciplinary actions will remain private, but it's thought Martinez has received a fine over his comments.
Martinez has apologised in a new statement released on Instagram. United sources say it was the defender's decision to apologise and claim all parties have put the episode "behind them."
In the statement, Martinez said: "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."
Martinez released a new statement to say sorry.
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Martinez was furious when he emerged for his post-Atletico media duties with Amazon Prime, saying: "I have to control myself a lot. But sometimes it's a reflection of how our club is at the moment, you know?
"We did a fantastic season last season, and now we expect more from the top, from above, you know, to bring more players to compete, because many, many teams bring many players in as well, and today also, Atletico have an amazing team, and they deserved to win today."
When Martinez was asked if United had a Champions League quality squad, he said: "I expected more, honestly. I expected more."
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The defender was then asked to clarify whether he meant he expected more investment in the squad over the summer, prompting Martinez to rip into Wilcox, who is responsible for recruitment.
"Yeah, 100 per cent," he said. "I expected more from our technical director. I have to be honest, you know? And also, as players, we have to do more, but it's also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for these kinds of nights."
When pressed on which areas needed to be strengthened, he said: "In general. I think last season we did everything; we created a base to build an amazing team. But this is something to be honest and to prove something, you know?
"Yeah, it's annoying, disappointing, to come here and not see my team trying to get an amazing result here. It's disappointing."
It's understood that some players agree with Martinez's comments, while others disagree with the manner in which they were made. And it has been claimed that at least one senior player confronted Martinez over his interview during the team's return trip to Manchester.
Martinez is out of contract at the end of the season, but United have the option to extend his deal by 12 months.