Lisandro Martinez is set to be fined by Manchester United after he publicly criticised director of football Jason Wilcox and the board following Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid. Speaking minutes after the final whistle at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, the Argentina international said the squad lacked the quality required for the competition and blamed poor summer recruitment.
The defeat in Spain extended Manchester United’s winless run to five matches across all competitions. Atlético midfielder Pablo Barrios opened the scoring in the first minute. United defender Leny Yoro was then sent off in the 74th minute after a video assistant referee review judged that he had denied Jonathan David a clear goalscoring opportunity. Substitute Ademola Lookman scored Atlético’s second goal five minutes later, leaving Michael Carrick’s side with two wins from nine games this season.
Martinez Targets Wilcox and Backs Carrick
In his post-match interview with Amazon Prime Video, Martinez questioned the club’s transfer business after United finished third in the Premier League last season. He singled out Wilcox by his former title of technical director and called for greater spending from the club’s leadership.
“Today’s performance was very poor. I have to control myself,” Martinez said.
Right now, we’re not a Champions League-quality club. We did a fantastic season last season, and now we expect more from the top, more players to compete because many teams bring many players as well. I expect more, 100 per cent. I expect more from our technical director, I have to be honest.
While criticising the hierarchy, the defender backed head coach Michael Carrick and urged the club to look beyond the dugout. “You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can’t say more,” Martinez added in a second interview. “Carrick is doing what he can. If things don’t change, next season will be a huge problem.”
Dressing Room Frustration Over Summer Recruitment
Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada spent £155 million during the summer transfer window to rebuild the midfield. The club signed Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos, and Youri Tielemans, along with backup goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
However, United missed out on several primary targets. Midfielder Elliot Anderson joined Manchester City in a reported £116 million deal, while Mateus Fernandes signed for Tottenham Hotspur. A £35 million move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson collapsed after a medical flagged a serious knee problem. The club also chose not to sign a striker to replace Joshua Zirkzee and left the left-back position unaddressed after top target Lewis Hall signed a new contract at Newcastle United.
According to reports from talkSPORT and journalist Fabrizio Romano, senior players in the Manchester United dressing room agree with Martinez and share his frustration that the recruitment team neglected the attack and defence. Tensions were also visible on social media after the match, where winger Amad Diallo posted on Snapchat calling the performance a “f*****g disgrace.”
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Pundits Condemn Remarks as Tielemans Calls for Unity
Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney criticised Martinez for speaking out in public and suggested the interview was planned in advance. “I think Martinez was very premeditated. Why is he doing the interview after this game?” Rooney said, adding that the defender’s own performances this season had not been good enough to justify calling out the club.
Speaking on CBS Sports, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called Martinez “out of order” and rejected his claim that United had a strong campaign last year. “When he’s saying ‘we had a fantastic season last season’, they didn’t, a manager got sacked last season,” Carragher said. He also questioned how United’s summer signings would feel hearing a teammate complain about the transfer window.
One of those summer arrivals, Youri Tielemans, spoke to Amazon Prime Video shortly after Martinez and refused to be drawn into the row. “I’ve got no comment on that,” the Belgian midfielder said when asked about his teammate’s remarks. Tielemans added that the players needed to keep working, trust each other, and stick together to start winning games.
Disciplinary Fallout and Sunday’s Trip to Leeds
Club sources told The Athletic that a fine for Martinez is inevitable and that his chances of remaining at Old Trafford beyond the end of his contract in 2027 are “remote in the extreme.” Although United hold an option to extend his deal until 2028, talks over a new contract on improved terms stalled following his nine-month absence with a cruciate ligament injury in February 2025 and a thigh injury during this summer’s World Cup final. Public criticism of Wilcox has proved costly before at Old Trafford, as former manager Ruben Amorim was sacked in January the day after airing grievances about the director at Elland Road.
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Carrick declined to address Martinez’s comments immediately after the defeat in Madrid, stating that he had not yet seen the interview. The United head coach now prepares for a crucial Premier League match away to Leeds United on Sunday, where Martinez risks being dropped from the starting lineup while the board monitors results alongside reported interest in potential managerial replacements Eddie Howe, Fabian Hürzeler, Julian Nagelsmann, and Antonio Conte.
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