Martinez calls out Man Utd board and technical director after Champions League defeat to Atletico

Lisandro Martinez launched a pointed public attack on Manchester United’s board and technical director Jason Wilcox after the club’s Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, demanding greater investment in the squad and questioning the club’s direction from the top down.

The Argentina defender did not hold back in his post-match interview, describing the performance as “really poor” and framing it as symptomatic of wider failings at Old Trafford. “Sometimes is a reflection of the mirror of how is our club at the moment,” Martinez said.

Martinez was direct in his criticism of the club’s transfer activity, stating he expected more signings ahead of the current campaign. “I expect more [investment]. 100%. I expect more from our technical director,” he said. “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.”

The centre-back acknowledged that United had built something meaningful last season but argued the squad had not been strengthened sufficiently to compete at the highest level. “Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team,” he said. “It is annoying, disappointing coming here and I am not seeing my team trying to get an amazing result here.”

When asked whether manager Ruben Amorim had been let down by a lack of backing, Martinez was measured in his defence of the coach while broadening the blame. “He does his best. Every season is different. You can’t stay with what you did last season — the teams know how you play, they know every detail.”

He then turned his fire on the club’s habit of cycling through managers without addressing structural issues. “You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can’t say more. Tonight it is easy to say the coach, easy to say the players, but also we have to see other areas.”

The interview drew an immediate reaction. Former United captain Wayne Rooney criticised Martinez’s comments, while teammate Youri Tielemans declined to offer an opinion when asked. Former United manager Michael Carrick also stopped short of giving a verdict on his former player’s remarks.