Lisandro Martínez has apologised for his post-match criticism of Manchester United’s hierarchy, with the club reportedly fining the defender and declaring the matter closed.
The Argentina international held a meeting with manager Michael Carrick and senior club officials before issuing a public apology on Instagram, acknowledging that his frustration following the team’s defeat had led him to speak at the wrong time and place.
United have fined Martínez as punishment for his remarks. The club has not publicly disclosed the amount of the fine, while manager Carrick confirmed on Friday that the issue had been resolved.
“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,” Martínez wrote.
The defender added that his passion for football and frustration over the defeat had influenced his comments.
“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,” he said.
Martínez also acknowledged that his remarks had not helped promote unity within the club, insisting that everyone at Old Trafford remained committed to achieving the same objectives.
“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,” he added.
The controversy followed Manchester United’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid, after which Martínez publicly questioned the club’s summer recruitment and criticised director of football Jason Wilcox, saying he had expected more support in strengthening the squad. <Cite refs={“turn721828search1″,”turn721828search3”}/>
Carrick, speaking ahead of United’s Premier League trip to Leeds United on Sunday, said the club had moved on from the incident and stressed that there was no internal drama.
“It’s done, really. We’ve moved on from that,” the United manager said, adding that Martínez had acknowledged his mistake and that the squad was focused on its next challenge.
The club’s response brings the dispute to a close, with Martínez available for selection against Leeds as United seek to put their recent difficulties behind them.
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