A Dire Situation: Manchester United Lays Off Employees and Closes Canteen

The club has been incurring losses for five consecutive years.

The woes of the Red Devils continue, both on and off the pitch. In the latest round, they narrowly managed to secure a draw against Everton, failing to surpass them in the Premier League table and remaining in the "proud" 15th place. On Monday, management informed employees about another round of layoffs.

Manchester United's CEO, Omar Berrada, issued a statement that Manchester United would be restructuring its corporate structure as part of a series of additional measures aimed at improving the club’s financial stability and operational efficiency. The transformation plan is focused on returning the club to profitability after five consecutive years of losses, starting from 2019. This will create a more solid financial foundation, allowing the club to invest in the success of both the men's and women's teams and improve infrastructure. As part of these measures, the club announced plans to reduce staff.

"After this process is completed, we will have a more compact, flexible, and financially stable football club, which will continue to provide first-class services to our valuable commercial partners. As a result, we will be in a much stronger position to invest in the success of the club and improve conditions for the fans, while still complying with the UEFA and Premier League regulations," said the CEO.

Berrada did not specify how many people would lose their jobs during a personal audience. However, he apologized for saying in September that there would be no more layoffs. At that time, around 250 employees were fired at the behest of team co-owner Jim Ratcliffe. However, the bitter truth quickly surfaced. After the meeting, employees received an email stating the intention to reduce the workforce by 150-200 "lucky" individuals. The club currently has 900 staff members. The Guardian previously reported a prevailing moral decline within the club.

But Ratcliffe did not stop there. He decided to put his subordinates on a fruit diet. According to sources, he will close the staff canteen at Old Trafford and replace the free meals currently offered with fruit. Only employees working on matchdays will continue to receive meals. The closure is expected at the end of the week. The club believes that canceling the free meals will save £1 million.

In addition to the layoffs, Manchester United raised ticket prices mid-season – the cheapest tickets now cost $81 instead of $49, according to AP. In November, Ruben Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag as manager, but after 26 rounds of the Premier League, Manchester United is still in 15th place. Over the past two years under the Dutchman, Manchester United spent more than €600 million on 15 player acquisitions. Such an amount had never been spent at the club in such a short time under any manager.

Last year, the Red Devils ranked second on the list of the most expensive clubs in the world according to Forbes ($6.55 billion), only behind Real Madrid ($6.6 billion). With the new fruit diet, they are, of course, expected to surpass the Galacticos.

Published by Patrick Jane
25.02.2025