It is just a misunderstanding’: Ruben Amorim reflects on Onana and Matic war of words More on Tribuna.com: https://tribuna.com/en/news/2025-04-09-it-is-just-a-misunderstanding-ruben-amorim-reflects-on-onana-and-matic-war-of-words

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has spoken out regarding the recent exchange between goalkeeper Andre Onana and Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic ahead of their Europa League quarter-final first leg, stating that Onana’s remarks were misinterpreted.

“If you see the full quote of Andre Onana, it is quite different. The first sentence is that ‘Lyon is a very, very good team’. Sometimes the players don’t listen to the full quotes and it is just a misunderstanding. I know Matic also, he is a great guy, so tomorrow is going to be a normal game,” Amorim said

Amorim made it clear that Onana’s intention was to express belief in his side, not to insult the French team.

“It is really hard to deal with that. Again, if you look to all the quotes, you cannot see disrespect there, just respect. But to show confidence to his team. Everyone talks about bad things about Manchester United this year. Someone has to show some confidence in our team. I think Matic has heard things by half,” he added.

Here’s a polished and more compelling version of that update, with a sharper tone that fits the narrative tension while keeping Amorim’s message intact:

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**Rúben Amorim Defends Onana After Matic Spat: “It Was Just a Misunderstanding”**

Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim has stepped in to cool tensions ahead of the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Lyon, addressing the heated back-and-forth between Andre Onana and Nemanja Matic.

The drama kicked off after Onana’s comments about United being “the better team on paper” were met with a sharp rebuke from Matic, who labelled the keeper “one of the worst in modern United history.” But Amorim insists the backlash is based on a misquote.

“If you see the full quote from Andre Onana, it’s quite different,” Amorim clarified in his pre-match presser. “The first thing he said was, ‘Lyon is a very, very good team.’ Sometimes players only hear the headline. It’s just a misunderstanding. I know Matic — he’s a great guy — and tomorrow will be a normal game.”

The United boss emphasized that Onana’s intention was to instill belief in a team that’s faced relentless criticism all season.

“It’s really hard to deal with that. If you look at the full quote, there’s no disrespect — just confidence in his teammates. Everyone’s been saying bad things about United this year. Someone has to show belief. I think Matic only heard half the story.”

As the spotlight intensifies on Thursday night’s clash, Amorim is doing his best to keep the focus on the football — but the battle lines have already been drawn.

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