Manchester United have initiated the next round of redundancies amongst the club’s non-playing staff “just hours after the team’s defeat in the Europa League final” in Bilbao, according to a report.
The Red Devils’ dismal season ended with a painful nadir on Wednesday night as Ruben Amorim’s side slumped to an abject 1-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at the San Mames Stadium – their fourth defeat of the campaign against the Lilywhites.
It ended any prospect of European football next year as United are currently languished in 16th in the Premier League table.
This means the financial revenue the club would usually enjoy – this is only the second time in the last 35 years that United will not play in any European competition at all – has also been lost.
As a result, INEOS have already “begun the process” of informing staff they will be made redundant “just hours” after the final whistle in Spain, according to the Daily Mail.
The report states, “Mail Sport understands that some of the 200 employees at risk of redundancy are being informed of their fate this week.
“Rather than let the disappointment of the 1-0 loss to Tottenham subside, Old Trafford executives are cracking on with the club’s savage cuts.
“Chief executive Omar Berrada told staff in February that more redundancies were on their way as part of a ‘transformation plan’ aimed at returning the club to ‘profitability’. This followed 250 job losses last year.”
“Sources have expressed surprise at the timing of the move to deliver the latest news to staff, so soon after the defeat in Bilbao, but the club would appear keen to make savings as soon as possible, especially after missing out on the £100million windfall of Champions League qualification.
“It is not known if Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos operation plan more cuts to the workforce, but morale is said to be low inside the club, with popular and longstanding colleagues set to depart.”
During a staff party in Manchester on Wednesday to watch the final, Ratcliffe, along with co-owner Avram Glazer, were loudly booed and jeered when their pictures appeared on the screens at the venue.
But these boos may be delivered to the British billionaire’s face the next time he steps foot at Old Trafford based on the brutal nature of this latest cost-cutting measure.
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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.
