As unexpected as it was shocking for Manchester United was the statement made live on television, and not just on one channel, by Lisandro Martinez after the 2-0 away defeat against Atletico Madrid, in the second week of the Champions League group stage. The 28-year-old Argentine defender, in his fifth season with the “Red Devils” shirt, seriously questioned the quality of the current squad, an assessment that was not pleasant for his teammates, pointing the finger directly at the club’s directors, especially the person responsible for the transfer market, director of football Jason Wilcox.
The match in Madrid took a significant turn after just a few seconds, in the 53rd minute, when Barrios scored the 1-0 lead, beating Lammens. United reacted and had chances to equalize, but Yoro's red card, about 20 minutes from time, was the blow that paved the way for Simeone's team's second goal, scored a little later by Lookman.
Martinez: Targeting those who did not strengthen the team
Speaking to Prime's microphones after the match, Lisandro appeared furious. He tried to weigh his words well, but still failed to hide the essence of what he wanted to say. "I have to control myself a lot," he initially declared. "But sometimes this is a reflection of the situation our club is in at the moment. Last season we did a fantastic job and now we expect more from the directors, from those at the top, to bring in more players to be competitive, because many other teams also buy a lot of players. Today Atletico has an extraordinary team and they deserved the victory."
Lisandro Martínez did NOT hold back after United's loss to Atletico 😬👀 https://t.co/OGo25Pzd30
— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) October 13, 2026
When the defender was asked if United had a squad worthy of the Champions League, he replied honestly: “To be honest, I expected more.” He used the same tone in his subsequent response, when asked if he meant to say that he expected more investment in the squad during the summer. It was at that moment that Lisandro limited his accusation to one specific person, namely Wilcox, the manager with wide powers, who joined United in April 2024, having come from Southampton. He initially took on the role of technical director, while in June 2025 he was promoted to the post of director of football, thus taking full responsibility for managing the club’s sporting and transfer market sectors from Manchester.
“Yes, one hundred percent,” said the Argentine, world champion in Qatar in 2022. “I expected more from our technical director, I have to be honest. Which departments need to be strengthened? I'm talking in general. I think last season, when we finished third in the championship, we built the foundations to create an extraordinary team.” The implication was clear: that has not happened.
Finally, when asked if the problem was related to the lack of a capable leader on the bench, that is, if coach Michael Carrick had any responsibility, Lisandro ruled out that possibility. Carrick had replaced the sacked Amorim in the middle of last season. “I don’t think so, he is doing his best. You can’t keep changing coaches. As for the other aspects, I can’t say more.” It could be said that he had already said everything.
Rooney destroys Lisandro: "He doesn't respect his teammates"
Lisandro's words were harshly commented on by former United striker and captain Wayne Rooney, now a television pundit. He severely criticized the Argentine for his lack of respect for his teammates, especially those who arrived in the summer and who, apparently, are not considered by him to be at the right level. We are talking about the midfield trio, consisting of Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.
"If you're Baleba or Tielemans, you should talk to Lisandro, because it's disrespectful to them. Only Bruno (Fernandes, the captain) can say those things openly. He seems like a player who only tries to look after himself. It's sad because it's essential that the players stay together. Otherwise, it could destroy the dressing room." At this point, it seems very likely that there will be an internal showdown within the club in the near future.
