It was revealed belatedly that manager Rúben Amorim (41) and Manchester United's (Man United) key defender Lisandro Martínez (28) clashed violently during training last month.
Sports specialist "The Athletic" reported on the 6th (Korean time) that Amorim and Martínez staged a volatile face-to-face confrontation during a training session last month at Manchester United's Carrington training ground, drawing attention.
The trigger was a disagreement over the timing of the Argentina national team player Martínez's return. Martínez returned after a long rehabilitation from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to his knee in February last year. He marked his comeback by being named in the lineup for the league round 12 match against Everton in November last year.
But manager Amorim was cautious about deploying Martínez. He gave him only nine minutes in the 1-2 loss to Crystal Palace and a mere three minutes in the 1-1 draw with West Ham United.
Martínez became furious. Having returned after a long rehabilitation, he believed he was ready to start. In the end, he was angry at Amorim's restriction on his playing time.
Confident in his physical condition, Martínez reacted strongly to Amorim, even pressing their faces together. The player directly challenged the manager, creating a tense standoff.
What was interesting was what happened afterward. Rather than disciplining Martínez for confronting him, Amorim was reportedly deeply impressed by his energy and fighting spirit to play.
Amorim used Martínez from the halftime of the next match, the away league round 17 game at Aston Villa (1-2 loss), and then started him in the round 18 home match against Newcastle United.
As a result, Manchester United beat Newcastle 1-0 on Dec. 27. Martínez, starting for the first time in 10 months, defended without conceding against the opposing attack and even took on captain duties in the absence of Bruno Fernandes, earning Amorim's trust.
Amorim was known for insisting on a three-back defense. The linchpin of that was Martínez. But when Martínez went down injured in February last year, Amorim's organization began to unravel.
But even that internal fighting spirit could not prevent Amorim's dismissal. Amorim was sacked after his relationship with some senior executives of Man United's co-owner INEOS Group collapsed.
Meanwhile, Manchester United sit sixth in the league, just three points behind a UEFA Champions League spot. From the home match against Burnley on the 8th, interim manager Darren Fletcher will take charge.
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