Lisandro Martínez #6

Profile

Martínez is a highly valued defender for the national team. His aggressive style and strong character have earned him the nickname El Carnicero, The Butcher. Though he is not very tall (1.75 m), he is excellent in the air and complements this with great technique. He began his career at Newell’s Old Boys, stood out at Defensa y Justicia, and made the leap to Europe when he was transferred to Ajax aged 21. He joined Manchester United three years later. He is a player deeply connected to his country, to the point that he has the Qatar World Cup tattooed on his body and often posts about current events in Argentina. He shows this passion in every interview, where he also tends to express his emotions openly. His main weakness is injuries; he has suffered some serious setbacks that have prevented him from consistently maintaining a starting spot in the national team, and after suffering a knee ligament injury last year said there were times “I didn’t want to play any more … I felt empty”.

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