Manchester United’s elimination from the Champions League before the group stage will hit them hard financially. They could be between £14m and £18m worse off than last season when they reached the final.
Manchester United’s elimination from the Champions League before the group stage will hit them hard financially. They could be between £14m and £18m worse off than last season when they reached the final.
I have seen figures of £20m quoted, although they strike me as on the high side given that United can probably attract more fans to Europa League matches than most clubs. Even so, losses could rise if they opt to cut ticket prices for Europa League games which seems quite likely. They have already said that season ticket holders will not be required to buy Europa League tickets. It’s scant consolation that it is the one trophy that Sir Alex Ferguson has not won.
The Glazer family only budget to reach the first round but it will nevertheless be a big blow as they seek to pay down the club’s £460m debts. Fans will hope that it does not restrict funds to rebuild the team, although there is a certain irony in the way which in the media are now having a field day with gloomy prognostications about United. At the beginning of the season it was open season on Arsenal and then Chelsea got all the negative attention.
The real winners are Channel 5. The relatively obscure channel has got its best viewing figures from football and it has first pick of the games in each of the nine Europa League match days in the knockout phase. After Channel 5 has taken first pick, ESPN and ITV will have the best of the rest.
Sky is the big loser at it screens the majority of Champions League games live. If all four English clubs had reached the quarter final, instead of just two, as happened in 2008 and 2009, Sky would show six of the eight games that would appeal especially to English fans (if the quartet were kept apart).