Manchester United owners INEOS face more accusations over their perceived lack of interest in the Women’s team.
Success in Sweden
The Women’s side did the club proud in Sweden, making it through to the third round of the Champions League qualifiers.
They crushed PSV Eindhoven 4-0 and beat Hammarby 1-0. They will now face SK Brann in a two legged affair in mid-September in the third and final round.
Previous accusations
United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has not helped himself with previous comments about the Women’s team.
He has claimed that the Women’s side are not his “main focus” and that they are much smaller than the male team.
What’s more, the women’s team had to move out of their training facilities into temporary buildings at Carrington to make room for the men’s team while their part of the training ground was being redone.
The Women have also only signed two players with just three days of the Women’s transfer window left and a busy season ahead in the Women’s Super League and in Europe.
Latest controversy
The Telegraph has reported that “Manchester United Women players paid for their own flights back from Sweden after the club failed to book a direct return from their Champions League qualifying games.”
The squad were due to return home on Sunday but the flight planned by the club was a stopover.
The report adds that “direct flights from Stockholm to Manchester were available, but they would not accommodate all players and staff, meaning United opted to book a flight which included a stopover.”
Players were given the option to book their own flights if they preferred to arrive home earlier.
Many opted to do so but “it is understood some players are said to be angry at having to pay for their own flights.”
Embarrassingly, United’s decision not to use a chartered plane for both journeys stands in contrast to Women Super League rivals Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City who all did so last season in their Champions League matches.
United used a chartered flight to arrive in Stockholm to allow more gametime preparation but with the league season not starting to next weekend, did not deem it necessary for the return flight.
The Telegraph adds, “it is understood United will continue to review transport arrangements on a case-by-case basis, considering both performance and cost factors. The overarching approach is to manage costs around the women’s team in a financially sustainable way.”
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Alex Browne
Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.
