Martínez apologises for when, not what

The Lead

Quoteofficially confirmedcompleted

Lisandro Martínez has apologised for when and where he spoke, not for what he said

Lisandro Martínez met Michael Carrick, Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada on Thursday, then posted a second apology to his own Instagram. Per the BBC, the apology covers the time and place of his comments after Tuesday's defeat to Atlético Madrid, not their substance. The Manchester Evening News's Tyrone Marshall and the BBC's Simon Stone both read it the same way: sorry for when and where, not for what was said. Sky, the Guardian and the Manchester Evening News each report, separately, that going public was his own decision. United's position, per the BBC, is that the matter is closed as the club prepares for Leeds on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.

BBC Sport

The Briefing

Creator Spotlight

Laurie Whitwell

Laurie Whitwell, tier 1, credibility 92 on our own scale.

Laurie Whitwell covers United for The Athletic, the highest-volume beat journalist in our window: 363 attributions across 283 distinct stories in the last 30 days. His line on Thursday's meeting, that United consider the matter closed and that Martínez can feature at Elland Road, carried the story before most outlets caught up.

Club Pulse

Ownership and manager layers lift on confirmation the apology was Martínez's own call. First team sentiment stays negative, still dragged by Tuesday's fallout. Academy and Women's layers sit quiet, too thin to read.

Fan Voice

Supporters split on whether the apology solves anything. One account reduces the whole week to a single line, noting the statement came but the player is still being lost. Another insists Martínez had nothing in his comments to take back.

So they got the statement. They’re still losing the player

@papilayi, sentiment negative

Lisandro Martinez wss spot on with his comments.

@manunitedviews_, sentiment positive

Player in Focus

Ayden Heaven

1 mention on the day's count, sentiment neutral. That is a thin base and we read the trend as noise.

Heaven drew a single mention in our files this window, which is noise, not a trend. The one that landed: he played left-back in Madrid for want of a fit alternative, per the Sun, and no source lays Tuesday's fallout at his feet.

Used at left-back in Madrid for want of a fit alternative, and none of the complaint that followed was aimed at him.

The Sun (via @mufcMPB)

Loan Watch

The exits this window have mostly been academy departures rather than loans. Collyer, Moorhouse, Murdock, Obi, Gore, McAllister and Biancheri have all moved on permanently; Yoro is the one name PSG are watching rather than chasing.

Rivals Radar

Leeds defender Nico Elvedi says Sunday needs no extra motivation, comparing it to rivalries he knew before coming to England; nobody else at the club has added to it, per the BBC.

Quote worth keeping

Carrick's public comment on the fallout predates Thursday's meeting and apology, but it is still the only word from the dugout on the record.

I need to find out a bit more about it before I can say if and what is going to be done.

Michael Carrick, Manager, to BBC Sport · 2026-10-14 · permalink

From the Archive

10-16 · 1968

Estudiantes hold United

United drew 1-1 at home with Estudiantes de La Plata in the second leg of the Intercontinental Cup, losing the tie 2-1 on aggregate. Morgan scored. Attendance 63,500.

A reminder that silverware has slipped away at this stage before. The 1-1 at home with Estudiantes in 1968 cost United the Intercontinental Cup on aggregate despite a Morgan goal in front of 63,500.

Source