Manchester United staff risk dismissal from their positions if found to have leaked information about the club in a “bombshell email” from chief executive Omar Berrada, a report states.
‘Gross Misconduct’
The Telegraph exclusively reveals Berrada sent a “580 word missive” to all staff members at Old Trafford this week dictating the leaking of information would amounts to “gross misconduct” and perpetrators “could [be] sacked” as a result.
The chief executive is said to have “launched an investigation” into the frequency with which sensitive details are relayed to the press at Old Trafford.
Previously, the club had investigated leaks relating to team selections, going as far as imploring social media accounts with inside scoops on starting elevens to refrain from posting then.
However, this new approach appears to focus on the leaks relating to INEOS’ sweeping range of cost-cutting measures over the past twelve months.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Sport team assumed full control over the football operation at Old Trafford last February.
The British billionaire has prioritised the stripping back of the club’s finances and reducing a ‘bloated’ staff body, as INEOS are notorious for enacting when they gain control of a company. And it’s the details of this brutal process which appear to be the focus of Berrada’s email.
The report reveals, “Berrada sent the 580-word missive to employees earlier this week as details of the radical cutbacks and potential redundancies at United have emerged, with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe slashing jobs, cutting perks and streamlining expenditure in the year since taking control of football operations.”
“Staff were told that “additional measures” are now being put in place to prevent the details of changes being released before official club announcements.”
And, in an ironic twist, The Telegraph have seen the email first-hand, meaning the club’s directive over leaks was immediately leaked.
The ‘Don’t Leak’ Email is Leaked
The email reads: “Anyone disclosing information outside of the club is breaching their obligations of confidentiality, and we are very clear that this will be considered gross misconduct. To protect the club and its colleagues, additional measures are being put in place to prevent future breaches of confidentiality and also identify any persons responsible.”
The club did not respond to The Telegraph’s scoop on Berrada’s email but the report reveals “it is understood employees were told the objective behind changes is for the club to start winning again ‘which requires transformation on and off the pitch’.”
INEOS’ first year in charge at Old Trafford began with a wave of positivity. It ends with the club engulfed in an unrelenting state of negativity and, given the state of the team’s performances, shows no sign of the ‘transformation’ needed to change it.
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
