Lisandro Martínez apologises to Manchester United director Jason Wilcox after Champions League outburst

Lisandro Martínez apologised to Manchester United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, on Thursday after an outburst following Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid. The apology came after talks with manager Michael Carrick and club executives on Thursday.

Any disciplinary action will not be made public, though it is thought Martínez has been fined, the club said. The defender’s apology arrived on Thursday evening after he failed to offer one when issuing an initial statement on Wednesday about his remarks after Tuesday’s game. He posted on Instagram: “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. “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.”

After the Atlético defeat Martínez publicly criticised the club’s recruitment, directly naming Wilcox. He said: “I expect more [investment], 100%. I expect more from our technical director [Wilcox]. As players we have to do more but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night. Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team.”

Martínez also questioned whether Carrick had been sufficiently supported, saying: “I don’t think so. He does his best. You can’t keep changing, changing, ­changing the manager. What about other areas?” It is understood Martínez’s apology was his decision alone.

United spent £155m in the transfer market this summer, with all of that outlay used on midfield signings Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba, despite Wilcox targeting a left-back. Those signings drew scrutiny after Martínez’s public criticism of recruitment.

The wider squad agrees with Martínez’s stance regarding recruitment. Players have been left frustrated by a poor start to the season. Carrick is under considerable pressure.

United have collected six points from six league games, their poorest return since 1986. They have also been eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Brighton, a sequence of results that leaves Carrick facing heightened scrutiny.