Al Jazeera will look at the financially backed Manchester United’s Spurs’ ultimate defeat in the expensive Europa League.
Manchester United’s decline has been exposed for years, but it has made it even more sharply focused with Tottenham’s defeat in the Europa League final.
It was Wednesday’s zero-sum game: the winners enter the Champions League, and then the UEFA Super Cup game in August – and the losers leave Europe next season and get nothing.
Tottenham won the painful, monotonous match 1-0.
As football finance expert Kieran Maguire pointed out on Thursday, the defeat occurred despite United earning higher than Tottenham and spending 64% on wages for a team of players that were bought at a higher price. Tottenham also beat United twice in the Premier League this season and in the Domestic League Cup.
“If you were teaching this at a management school (i), you would conclude that there are serious problems with the organization’s culture… this is set up by senior management,” Maguire writes in X.
How much does Man UTD cost?
Beyond the loss of sporting opportunities and reputational fame, the club owned by the US Glazers family and British billionaire industrialist Jim Ratcliffe has a short and long-term financial hit.
Champions League play next season is an immediate loss of at least 80 million euros ($90 million), close to 150 million euros ($169 million) deep within the knockout stage.
United will also miss the 4 million euros ($4.5 million) they will get from UEFA to play the Super Cup against the Champions League title holders (Inter Milan or Palisen Germain) on August 13 at Udinese Stadium in Italy. The winner will receive a bonus of 1 million euros ($1.1 million).
Can Man UTD regain that loss at the FIFA Club World Cup?
United are far behind the 2029 edition of qualifying after failing to qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup, which has a $1 billion prize fund from FIFA and should pay more than $100 million to successful European teams.
European teams will only compete in the FIFA event by participating in the Champions League, winning titles or building consistent results over four seasons.
United have already missed the first half of their 2024-28 qualifying period, and it is difficult to project onto a team that won the Premier League last 12 years ago and a Champions League title within three years.
What financial options do Man UTD have?
One clear solution to growing financial issues and the ability to comply with Premier League rules is to sell the best players in the club, such as Captain Bruno Fernandez, disadvantaged forward Marcus Rashford, or its homemade prospects. Some have already earned high wages that are problematic for potential buyers.
The talent drain risks speeding up the decline of the spiral up and down the field, as Coach Reuben Amorim is about to rebuild with a weaker pool.
How does Man UTD match with other clubs?
United remains one of Europe’s most-earning clubs, but UEFA’s annual survey shows that its benefits have been reduced despite last year’s club record of £661.8 million ($887 million).
According to the UEFA charts, the five years from 2019 to 24 (from the age of 19 before 199 to the post-industrial recovery of the football industry) showed United’s revenues increased at a slower rate than all of its biggest UK rivals except Chelsea.
Will Man UTD revenue be affected?
Revenues are now falling, with another revenue cut from 16th to 16th in the Premier League standings, with one round remaining on Sunday.
Based on the final position in the ranking, Premier League prize money fell from one year ago to the 16th to mean a lower £22 million ($29.5 million).
After a deficit of £113.2 million ($152 million) last season, it’s all another loss-making season. The past three years have lost a total of £236 million ($316 million).
Will the losses on Man Utd cost more?
The Premier League Profits and Sustainability Rules (PSR) allow clubs to lose £105 million ($140.7 million) or face sanctions over three years, but United can cite some exemptions.
Ratcliffe, who has operational control despite being a minority shareholder, is already the public face of unpopular cuts on job and staff benefits, as well as rising ticket prices for fans.
“This is not sustainable,” the club told fans in January. “If we don’t act now, we are at risk of not complying with future PSR/FFP (Financial Fair Play) requirements, which will have a major impact on our ability to compete on the pitch.”
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