After losing the Europa League final (0-1 against Tottenham Hotspur), Manchester United is facing the ruins of a disastrous season—and that is likely to have consequences for “regular” employees.
“Our club can generate revenue even without the Champions League. We are a huge club with fans all over the world, we are a big brand,” coach Ruben Amorim had boasted before the EL final, apparently unaware that the Red Devils have not made a profit since 2018/19. The traditional club has posted losses for five years in a row, which ultimately led to changes in ownership.
The Glazer family is still the majority shareholder, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe joined in 2024 and not only took over 27.7 percent of the shares, he also initiated numerous changes. According to The Athletic, 250 employees were laid off last summer, and in February it was confirmed that another 150 to 200 jobs would be cut as part of cost-cutting measures.
Significantly fewer jobs
That alone is a significant reduction in the workforce, as the club still had 1,112 employees in June 2023. But now things could get even worse for employees. Immediately after the lost Europa League final, it emerged that another 200 jobs are to be cut.
Bitter: United held a barbecue for employees on Thursday. It is still unclear who exactly will be affected, but it is said that physios and masseurs will be among them. Manchester had left these departments alone so as not to upset the team in the season finale. Other employees who are not directly involved with the team were already informed of the planned job cuts at the beginning of May.
There will also be changes in the scouting department, including at management level. However, it remains to be seen what will happen to the professional players. The fact is that Ratcliffe already said in March that some players were “not good enough and overpaid.” There will therefore be personnel changes, but not in the coaching position. A departure of coach Ruben Amorim is apparently still not up for discussion.
