Nicknames are ubiquitous in sports and the world of football has no shortage of them. The world football superstar Lionel Messi in Argentina circles is referred to as La Pulga which loosely translates to ‘The Flea’. Clubs are also affectionately referred to by their nicknames. Manchester United have recently signed Lisandro Martinez and he arrives at Old Trafford carrying along his nickname from his former club Ajax. Martinez is referred to as the ‘Butcher of Amsterdam’. We take a look at the origin and the meaning of his nickname. Because of his aggressive style of defending which sees him play hard by marking his opponents tightly and making fierce well-calculated tackles, he earned himself the name, 'The Butcher' - or 'El Carnicero' to be more precise. Ajax fans are the ones who bestowed him the name as they were impressed by his physicality despite not being tall enough for the center-back position. 

Ahead of his transfer to Manchester United, this is what Lisandro Martinez had to say in regards to his nickname; “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.” "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 Argentine has. It is the kind of ­motivation I cannot explain," he added. A butcher is someone who cuts meat as part of their profession, so the nickname carries connotations of violence, conjuring images of legs being kicked and feet being stamped on. Martinez, however, insists that he is not a dirty player who is out to hurt his opponents and that he plays a fair game. 

The Argentine style of play has earned him comparison to former Ajax star defender Gabriel Heinze who just like him had an aggressive approach of defending and was also known for an uncompromising style of play. The new Manchester United center-back has subsequently said that while growing up he “idolized” Heinze. The other footballer with the nickname ‘butcher’ was the former Athletic Bilbao defender who also played for Atletico Madrid, Andoni Goikoetxea who was nicknamed by the fans, 'The Butcher of Bilbao'.