Manchester United have confirmed that they will make up to 200 more redundancies as part of a wider company restructuring as CEO Omar Berrada announced his “two main priorities” for the club.
Part-owners Ineos have made the decision to cut the workforce again having already overseen 250 job losses last year, a move that was widely criticised by fans.
United say the latest cuts are being made to “transform its corporate structure as part of a series of additional measures to improve the club’s financial sustainability and enhance operational efficiency.” United has lost money for the last five years running.
Berrada addressed staff at a companywide meeting on Monday afternoon. He said: “We have a responsibility to put Manchester United in the strongest position to win across our men’s, women’s and academy teams. We are initiating a wide-ranging series of measures which will transform and renew the club.
“Unfortunately, this means announcing further potential redundancies and we deeply regret the impact on those affected colleagues. However, these hard choices are necessary to put the club back on a stable financial footing.
“We have lost money for the past five consecutive years. This cannot continue. Our two main priorities as a club are delivering success on the pitch for our fans and improving our facilities. We cannot invest in these objectives if we are continuously losing money.
“At the end of this process, we will have a more lean, agile and financially sustainable football club, while continuing to provide a world class service to our valuable commercial partners. We will then be in a much stronger position to invest in football success and improved facilities for fans, while remaining compliant with UEFA and Premier League regulations.”
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United are currently 15th in the Premier League, with the dreadful form of the current bottom three looking more likely than any effort on their own part to keep them in the Premier League next season. Head coach Ruben Amorim, already the subject of dismissal rumours just three months into the job, posited last month that the current United team may be the worst in the club’s history, and earlier this month said that the players and first-team coaching staff must take the blame for the job cuts because if they were performing at the top level the club would probably be more profitable.
Ineos are also reportedly planning to close the staff canteen and replace free staff lunches with fruit. The new co-owners took control of footballing operations 14 months ago, although the much-maligned Glazer family retain a majority stake in the business.
Ineos chief and lifelong United fan Sir Jim Ratcliffe was accosted by angry fans when leaving Fulham’s Craven Cottage earlier this month over ticket price rises that are set to take hold next season.
