Lisandro Martinez has clarified his criticism of Manchester United’s hierarchy after the 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid, but stopped short of apologising. The defender posted a statement on Instagram on Wednesday 14 October, a day after his post-match comments, leaving United’s response to the dispute unresolved.

After the defeat, Martinez criticised the club’s summer investment, said he expected more from “upstairs” and singled out technical director Jason Wilcox. In his statement, he said he had spoken from anger and frustration at the result, while insisting his comments reflected his desire to see United compete for the biggest honours.

Martinez also put responsibility on the players, saying they had to deliver and work together. He said he believed in his team-mates, manager Michael Carrick and everyone working to move the club forward; the statement called for unity, not a withdrawal of his criticism.

What Martinez said after the defeat

Sky Sports reported that United’s bosses had not decided whether to discipline the defender at the time of its report. That leaves a concrete question for the club to resolve, even as Martinez’s public message stresses collective effort.

The original remarks centred on recruitment and the club’s ambition. Martinez said he expected more from the technical director and called for more players to strengthen the squad and compete. He also questioned why scrutiny appeared to focus on managers and players rather than other areas of the club.

Sky Sports reported anger and bemusement among people in both the boardroom and dressing room. The outlet said at least one team-mate challenged Martinez over his comments on the flight back from Madrid, while also reporting that there was no internal pressure on Wilcox over his position.

Martinez framed his clarification around the emotion behind his remarks and the standards he believes the club should pursue:

“After the match, I spoke out of anger and frustration at not getting the result we all wanted.”

He said he shared responsibility for raising standards and wanted the team to work together. That is not an apology to Wilcox or the hierarchy, and the statement did not retract his call for stronger investment.

Contract uncertainty adds another layer

Sky Sports reports real doubt over whether Martinez’s contract, due to expire next summer, will be extended. United have a formal option to keep him for a further year, and the report says the club is looking at centre-backs and left-backs.

The report also says Martinez had pushed for a summer move to Atletico, but United received no suitable bid. His future and the club’s handling of the fallout are now both unresolved; Carrick was due to speak to the media on Friday 16 October.