Manchester United have recruited Lisandro Martinez, whose reputation precedes him.
A little about the topic
Nicknames are ubiquitous in sports and there is no shortage of them in football. Former soccer player Ronaldo Nazario was known as ‘The Phenom’ or O Fenomeno, while in Argentine circles Messi is referred to as La Pulga (‘The Flea’). The clubs are also affectionately referred to by their sobriquettes. The Red Devils defender Lisandro Martinez arrived at Old Trafford in 2022 with a cruel-sounding moniker too, with Manchester United bringing the so-called Butcher of Amsterdam to the PL.
What did Lisandro Martinez say?
Lisandro is known as ‘El Carnicero’ – or the Butcher to be more precise – because of his aggressive defensive style that sees the player play hard, marking his opponents hard and making hard but fair shots. The nickname was given to him during his time in Amsterdam by Ajax fans, who were impressed with his physicality despite standing at five feet nine inches, a relatively short height for a center.
The Argentine, ahead of his move to the Red Devils, says yes, they call him the Carnicero – The Butcher of Amsterdam. According to Lisandro Martinez, they, the Argentines, do everything with passion and when he comes out to serve, he fights for every ball. If he has to step over dead bodies, he does it.
Martinez wants to win every 50-50 situation because he knows he is fighting for food for every member of his family and for his friends. Lisandro has such a feeling – and every Argentine has it. This is the motivation that Lisandro cannot explain. Of course, a butcher is someone who cuts meat as part of their profession, so the nickname carries connotations of violence, conjuring images of feet and stamped feet.
However, the defender insists that he is not a dirty player who goes out to hurt opponents. Lisandro Martinez says he’s not the only one to throw nasty shots, but he goes after every ball as if it were my last. So the name is justified? Considering Lisandro Martinez only picked up four Eredivisie yellow cards for Ajax in his final season at the club, maybe not quite.
Lisandro’s aggressive defensive approach, along with his nationality and Newell’s connection, has earned him comparisons to Gabriel Heinze, who was known for his uncompromising playing style. The ex-Ajax player subsequently revealed that Gabriel was his idol.