Manchester United fans paid tribute to World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez on his return to Old Trafford by unveiling an Argentina flag with a meat cleaver going through it.
Martinez, who is affectionately nicknamed 'The Butcher' or 'El Carnicero' because of his aggressive style of defending, was presented to the 70,000+ capacity crowd on Tuesday night following his World Cup win with Argentina.
And as he kissed his well-deserved medal ahead of last night's Premier League clash against Bournemouth, the Stretford End showed their support with a flag that was previously 'banned' from Old Trafford, according to talkSPORT.
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You can see footage of the flag in question below.
So why was it reportedly banned?
Back in November, after Martinez reacted to the flag on Instagram by saying it was "incredible", reports suggested it would not be allowed at Old Trafford "presumably due to the image of a potential weapon."
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But the flag was unveiled on Tuesday night before goals from Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford secured a fourth consecutive league win for Erik ten Hag's men.
Martinez has previously reacted to his nickname, saying: "Yes, I am called the Carnicero – The Butcher of Amsterdam. We Argentines do everything with passion and when I go out on the pitch, I fight for every ball. If I have to step over dead bodies, I do it."
He added: "I want to win every 50-50 situation because I know that I am fighting for food for every member of my family and for my friends. That is the feeling I have – and every Argentinian has. It is the kind of motivation I cannot explain."
Last month, Scott McTominay revealed the text Manchester United teammate Martinez sent him immediately after winning the World Cup with Argentina.
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The midfielder fired over a congratulatory message – one that would typically get a thank you back – but Martinez showed his mentality.
Speaking to Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic, McTominay said: "I messaged Lisandro the other day and said congratulations. He said, 'We go for the next one'. He’s just won a World Cup, so that shows the mentality in the group."
Martinez's personality and work ethic has certainly rubbed off on his teammates, and manager Erik ten Hag has certainly instilled his methods after arriving from Ajax in the summer.
When United were thrashed 4-0 against Brentford at the start of the season, for example, Ten Hag told one Manchester United player to “stop whining” when he complained during the match.
Thoughts on the Martinez flag?
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Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: @ManUtd/Twitter - @dansheldonsportTopics: Erik Ten Hag, Manchester United, Premier League, Bournemouth, Lisandro Martinez
