With Manchester United reportedly refusing to pay for the costs of club staff members’ friends and family to attend the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, club manager Ruben Amorim has stepped in and offered to bear the costs of 30 members of the backroom staff. Football clubs usually offer to pay for friends and family members of the backroom staff to attend big-ticket finals. But with United currently undertaking a raft of severe cost-cutting measures, the club have allegedly told their coaches, physios and support staff that there will be no complimentary tickets for next week’s final at Estadio San Mamés. Instead, staff members were told they could purchase up to two tickets from the club’s allocation of 15,000 seats for the game.
The New York Times reported that even Manchester United’s players have only been granted two complimentary tickets for their family members to attend the final.
ESPN reported that in contrast to United’s approach, Paris Saint-Germain, who will play in the UEFA Champions League final, have confirmed that they will foot the bill for 600 members of staff to attend their final against Inter Milan in Munich on May 31.
Earlier in the year, Manchester United had cut jobs and had closed the staff canteen at Old Trafford. It had also stopped the free lunches being offered to staff and instead offered them fruit. At Manchester United’s Carrington training base, players receive lunch as gratis while staff members are now offered soup and bread. Manchester United’s drastic financial belt-tightening measures come after five straight years of financial losses for the club.
Both United and Tottenham are looking at the Europa League final as a face-saver for a season of woe where they are currently in 16th and 17th spots in the Premier League, just above the relegation spots.
Amorim “embarrassed” by United’s results
Amorim had gone as far as saying that he felt “embarrassed” by United’s results on the football pitch this season.
The United head coach said it was “hard to accept” the team’s woeful domestic campaign.
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“It’s my fault, I’m responsible. If we cannot change that really fast, we should give our place to different people,” he said.
United has suffered more defeats this season than in any campaign since the Premier League was launched in 1992. The joint-record 20-time English champion is also certain to record its worst-ever points total in that period, as well as its lowest finish.
