Ex-Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has responded on social media to facing his former club for the first time since his departure.
The 36 year old was an unused substitute for Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday, which ended in a 2-2 draw with Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee scoring for United.
Prior to the match, a verbal spat erupted between Matic and United goalkeeper Andre Onana. It began when Onana commented on the upcoming match against Lyon following the 0-0 draw with Manchester City last weekend.
“I think we are better than them, we just have to go there and show who we are,” Onana said.
In his pre-match press conference, Matic retaliated against Onana’s remarks. When questioned about Onana’s comments, Matic responded: “I don’t know, to say that, you need to have cover for something like that. Onana? Pfttt.”
“You know, I respect everyone, but to say that, then you need to give an answer. If you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United history, you need to take care of what you’re talking about.
“If David de Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar say that, I would question myself, but if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United modern history, then he needs to show that before he says, so we will see.”
Onana was quick to respond on social media, saying: “I would never be disrespectful to another club. We know that tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent.
“We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud. At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can’t say the same.”
Alongside his message, Onana posted a photo of himself proudly kissing the FA Cup after last season’s triumph.
However, the match didn’t quite go as planned for the goalkeeper, as he was responsible for both of Lyon’s goals, including a heartbreaking 95th-minute leveller from Rayan Cherki.
Despite not taking part in the game itself, Matic later shared his thoughts about facing his former side, though he chose not to engage with Onana’s earlier statement or the keeper’s mistakes.
Instead, the player shared a heartwarming snapshot on his Instagram story of his son Filip beaming with joy amidst a selection of Manchester United jerseys – two belonged to Harry Maguire, one to Luke Shaw, one to Amad, and one to Tom Heaton, plus a Lyon shirt of his own.
After that, Matic posted a photo on Instagram of a backstage reunion with six familiar faces from United’s backroom staff after the final whistle. The caption read: “Nice to see my brothers again.”
The two sides are set to clash again in the quarter-final second leg on 17 April, when Lyon visits Old Trafford for an 8 pm showdown, giving Matic a chance to face his former team again.
