3 min readOct 16, 2026 04:54 PM ISTManchester United footballer Lisandro Martinez in action. (Reuters)Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has apologised for his criticism of the club’s hierarchy, admitting his frustration “got the better” of him as he held talks with manager Michael Carrick and senior officials.Martinez met with Carrick and club executives after training on Thursday, two days after saying the club needed greater investment to compete at the highest level following United’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid. In an interview with Amazon Prime, the Argentina defender had singled out director of football Jason Wilcox, sparking a storm around Old Trafford.“Today I met with the club’s leadership and the manager,” Martinez said in an Instagram post. “It was a very positive conversation where we were able to exchange views and speak openly about what happened after Tuesday’s game.”Martinez acknowledged that his frustration had got the better of him. “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.” Martinez issues apology on his Instagram story. (Screengrab/Instagram)He also admitted his words had not reflected the unity required at Old Trafford. “Our club is at its best when we are all united, and I recognise that my words in that moment did not come up with that,” he said. “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.”A club source said any internal disciplinary action would remain private, adding that it had been Martinez’s decision to apologise publicly and that all parties considered the matter closed.Martinez’s original comments had drawn big criticism from pundits Jamie Carragher and Wayne Rooney. Carragher told CBS Sports he found the timing “awful”, pointing to Martinez’s own poor start to the season. “He’s had an awful start to the season. Awful. Really poor,” Carragher said. Rooney, meanwhile, told Amazon Prime that Martinez had “gone a bit too far” and was being “disrespectful to his team-mates” by suggesting the squad was not good enough. “That interview is not going to help the situation the club are in at the minute,” Rooney said.Story continues below this adThe apology draws a line under a turbulent few days for United, who sit 13th in the Premier League after six games in their worst start in 40 years. They travel to seventh-placed Leeds United on Sunday.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement