Manchester United players were “fuming” at being forced to go on a post-season tour of Asia which included three Red Devils stars being told not to “flip the finger to fans”.
Four hours after their final day victory over Aston Villa at the end of a miserable season, the United squad jetted off for a two-game 36-hour tour of Asia.
The players were booed off after a 1-0 defeat to ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, before a brace from Chido Obi and a stoppage time goal from Ayden Heaven secured a 3-1 victory over Hong Kong on Friday.
The travelling party included several United players expected not to be at the club next season, including Alejandro Garnacho, who’s reportedly been told by Amorim that he’s not in his plans moving forward.
The Argentinian is the subject of interest from Napoli, while Chelsea and Aston Villa have also been linked with a move for the 20-year-old, who’s valued at £60m by United.
And he was one of three United players, along with Amad Diallo and Manuel Ugarte, ‘advised to refrain from’ raising their middle fingers to fans on tour, according to The Athletic.
The report states:
‘The tension of United’s trip appeared to be evident in a few instances of players flipping the finger to fans. Amad did so as he walked into the W hotel in Kuala Lumpur, following the first game, later apologising on social media in two posts a day apart but saying his mother had been insulted by an “unhealthy individual”. The words used are not clear from video footage of the incident.
‘Separately, Amad had raised his middle finger in the direction of Garnacho during a packed elevator selfie with a couple of fans while Garnacho did the same to camera. Garnacho also showed the gesture at a signing event for supporters in the Adidas shop at the Exchange TRX mall in Kuala Lumpur, causing bemusement to the person taking the picture and as he walked off the pitch following the game against ASEAN All-Stars, the photographer there complained.’
MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Mediawatch: Man Utd ‘FIRE SALE’ and Liverpool £315m fund-raise in transfer nonsense
👉 Mailbox: Six reasons Man Utd should replace Ruben Amorim with Arsene Wenger…
👉 Ratcliffe ‘risks fallout’ with ‘seething’ Amorim as Man Utd owner is ‘willing to sell’ Fernandes
The gesture, which Manuel Ugarte has also been doing in selfied with fans all season, ‘was being used in an ironic, playful manner’, but after club staff ‘realised the negative reaction’ the players were told to stop it.
A ‘swift return to families’ after the tour was thought to be essential given the players’ reaction to being forced to go in the first place.
The report adds that both Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen were originally told they would have to join the touring party despite both of them leaving the club at the end of June when their contracts come to an end.
‘But each one pushed back,’ the report states, with United eventually accepting Lindelof’s wife being heavily pregnant and Eriksen getting married as acceptable excuses for them not to travel with the group.
