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Tag: Manchester United

  • Man United, Spurs fans hit by Europa League final chaos

    Man United, Spurs fans hit by Europa League final chaos

    Manchester United and Tottenham fans heading to Bilbao for the UEFA Europa League final face major travel disruption.

    The Red Devils are back in Bilbao after knocking out Athletic Club in the semi finals – with the latter still sealing a Champions League place for next season – as they face off with Spurs on May 21 at the Estadio San Mames.

    Both squads are due to fly out in the coming days but fans travelling from the UK could be impacted ahead of the all-Premier League showdown.

    As per reports from the Daily Mirror, industrial action will disrupt certain flights leaving the UK ahead of the final, as plans are made.

    The industrial action affects flights out of Gatwick Airport in London on Tuesday May 20 and the following day [the final], as supporters fly to Bilbao. Refuelling staff – who work for Redline Oil Services Limited – are taking strike action after talks collapsed over new working terms.

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    Alongside the issue of actually getting planes off the ground heading to Northern Spain, there is also the potential for supporters to be priced out of last minute flights, due to sky high prices.

    Ahead of the final, the report claims budget airline EasyJet are still selling flights from Gatwick to Bilbao for £900-plus even though they could be delayed or cancelled and those journeys would not be covered for compensation as it is seen as an exceptional circumstance.

    There is the potential for a breakthrough, to ease the passage of flights, and prevent a bottleneck of fans arriving in Bilbao.

  • Amorim : Man United ready to suffer for  Europa League final

    Amorim : Man United ready to suffer for  Europa League final

    Manchester United will have to push hard to win the Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao despite their 3-0 win in the first leg,  according to manager Ruben Amorim .

    United have put themselves in the driving seat for a place in the final in Bilbao thanks to three first-half goals in the Spanish city on Thursday.

    The Old Trafford club is struggling domestically, however, languishing in 15th  place in the Premier League and Amorim said they should take nothing for granted.

    “If you look at our team, we cannot say today what is going to happen. There are some teams in any league that can understand the game is going to be like this and could change a little bit,” Amorim told reporters. “We have to face the game as one more game. I feel we have to score to go to the next round. That is how we are going to approach the game. We will have to suffer a little bit to go to the final, and we are ready to suffer.”

    United will be without the services of centre back Matthijs de Ligt after the 25-year-old Dutchman picked up an injury in their 4-3 defeat at Brentford on Sunday.

    “It’s not a big issue that is a good thing. He cannot play tomorrow or Sunday, but then we will check day by day, we will see. (Centre back) Ayden (Heaven) doesn’t recover. (Defensive midfielder) Toby (Collyer) is not available,” the Portuguese boss said.

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    Athletic have their own injury concerns, with winger Nico Williams and his older brother Inaki both set to miss  today’s second leg at Old Trafford.

    Amorim was also asked about Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who has been a subject of speculation over a move to the Saudi Pro League in recent days.

    Amorim said United want to hold on to their 30-year-old captain, who has scored 19 goals and provided 18 assists in 52 matches in all competitions this campaign for the club.

    “I think it is easy to understand that (transfer speculation), not just because of the numbers but the way he plays,” Amorim added.

    “He is a top player and we need to top players. He is a leader, the captain.”

  • Man United to exit Old Trafford for new ‘world’s greatest’ stadium

    Man United to exit Old Trafford for new ‘world’s greatest’ stadium

    Manchester United has  announced plans to build a new 100,000-capacity stadium close to their historic Old Trafford home, with co-owner Jim Ratcliffe promising it would be the “world’s greatest” football ground.

    The momentous decision by the Premier League club comes after an extensive consultation process on whether to develop their creaking current ground or move.

    The stadium, which will be built on land surrounding Old Trafford, will cost around £2 billion ($2.6 billion) and the timescale for the project is five years.

    United, 20-time English league champions, are one of the world’s most iconic football clubs but have fallen behind rivals such as Manchester City and Liverpool over the past decade.

    They are having a dismal season under current manager Ruben Amorim, languishing 14th  in the Premier League table and knocked out of both domestic cup competitions.

    British billionaire Ratcliffe himself this week told the BBC some of the club’s players are “not good enough” and some are “overpaid”.

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    Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe promised the new stadium will be the “world’s greatest” football ground

    Scaled models and conceptual images for United’s new stadium were revealed on Tuesday at the London headquarters of architects Foster + Partners, appointed in September to design the stadium district.

    “Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford,” Ratcliffe said in a club statement.“Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport.”

    United said the stadium and a wider regeneration project had the potential to deliver an additional £7.3 billion per year to the UK economy, including the possible creation of 92,000 new jobs.

    A joint task force was created last year to explore options for regenerating the Old Trafford area of Greater Manchester, with the stadium development at its heart.

    It was led by Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics and chief organiser of the 2012 London Olympics, and also included the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

    Omar Berrada, United’s chief executive, said the club’s long-term objective was to “have the world’s best football team playing in the world’s best stadium”, promising further consultation with fans.

    Old Trafford, United’s home since 1910, is England’s biggest club ground with a capacity of around 74,000 but criticism of the stadium has grown in recent years, with issues including a leaking roof.

    The proposed new stadium will rank as Europe’s second biggest, behind only Barcelona’s Camp Nou, which will accommodate about 105,000 fans once an upgrade is completed.

    The move to a new ground has been backed by former United boss Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles during his reign of nearly 27 years that ended in 2013.

    “Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made,” he said.

    United, whose struggles on the pitch are matched by problems off it, are around £1 billion in debt and have yet to say how they will pay for the new stadium.

    But Berrada said he was confident the club would find a way to finance the stadium as it was a “very attractive investment opportunity”.

    Foster + Partners designed the new Wembley stadium and the Lusail stadium in Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final.

    Norman Foster, founder of Foster + Partners, said United’s new stadium would feature an umbrella design sheltering a public plaza that is “twice the size of Trafalgar Square” in London.

    The design will feature three masts described as “Trident”, which the architects say will be 200 metres high and visible from 40 kilometres (25 miles) away.

    The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust said it was vital that fans were consulted throughout the process.

    The group said in a statement: “Will it drive up ticket prices and force out local fans? Will it harm the atmosphere, which is consistently fans’ top priority in the ground?

    “Will it add to the debt burden which has held back the club for the last two decades? Will it lead to reduced investment in the playing side at a time when it is so badly needed?”

  • Holders Manchester United visit Arsenal in FA Cup third round

    Holders Manchester United visit Arsenal in FA Cup third round

     Holders Manchester United will travel to record 14-times winners Arsenal in what promises to be an enthralling clash in the FA Cup third round in January, while Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea were all drawn at home to fourth-tier rivals.

    United, 13-times winners of the competition, visit Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday, a little over a month before their FA Cup fixture.

    The third round matches, where Premier League and second-tier clubs enter the competition, will be held from Jan. 9-13.

    Aston Villa, with seven FA Cup titles to their name, will welcome West Ham United in the only other all-Premier League clash.

    Last season’s losing finalists Manchester City host fourth-tier neighbours Salford City, while Premier League leaders Liverpool welcome Accrington Stanley and Chelsea are at home to another League Two side Morecambe.

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    Tottenham Hotspur, eight-times winners, travel to non-league Tamworth.

    Tamworth and Dagenham and Redbridge are the only two non-league clubs that made it to the third round this year, with the latter visiting second-tier Millwall.

    Brighton and Hove Albion, fourth in the Premier League, travel to Championship Norwich City.

    Championship leaders Sheffield United will host Cardiff City, 20th  in the standings.

  • ‘We will suffer for a long period’ – Amorim

    ‘We will suffer for a long period’ – Amorim

    Manchester United’s fans have not taken long to come up with a song for Ruben Amorim.

    It is fairly simple, just two words. “Ruben Amorim, Amorim, Ruben Amorim” to the tune of KC and the Sunshine Band’s ‘Give it Up’.

    It does the job and Amorim acknowledged the travelling supporters when they sung it to him after the final whistle of the 1-1 draw at Ipswich.

    As Amorim dissected his first game as head coach with the media at Portman Road, it soon became apparent the song is about the only thing that is going to happen quickly at Old Trafford over the next few weeks.

    Read Also: Ipswich hold Man United in Amorim’s  first game

    Any United fan expecting a quick fix to the problems that blighted Erik ten Hag’s time at the club, leave them in the bottom half of the Premier League, is going to be disappointed.

    According to Amorim, United are going to have to “suffer” as he implements his new ideas. Waiting, he says, would be totally counter-productive.

    “I know it is frustrating for the fans but we are changing so much in this moment with a lot of games,” he said. “We are going to suffer for a long period. We will try to win games but this will take time.

    “We have to risk it a little bit [now] and in the next year we will be better [otherwise] next year at the same stage we will be here with the same problems.”

  • Man United join race for €70m Lookman

    Man United join race for €70m Lookman

    Manchester United have reportedly entered the battle to sign Atalanta’s star attacker, Ademola Lookman.

    The Nigerian international, currently enjoying a standout season in Serie A, has attracted interest from European heavyweights, including Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

    Caught Offside reports that United are closely monitoring the €60-70 million-rated forward, eyeing him as a key reinforcement for their attack.

    Lookman, known for his pace and clinical finishing, has become a vital player for Atalanta, leading to talks of a potential contract extension. However, uncertainty around his future could open the door for a big-money move.

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    While a January transfer appears unlikely, the summer window could be pivotal as clubs vie for Lookman’s signature. With Erik ten Hag’s departure and Ruben Amorim now in charge, Manchester United could see Lookman as a statement signing to bolster their attacking options.

    Whether United can outmaneuver Real Madrid and PSG in the transfer market remains to be seen, but Lookman’s growing reputation ensures his future will be one of next summer’s hottest stories.

  • Amorim promises to return Manchester United to where it belongs

    Amorim promises to return Manchester United to where it belongs

    Manchester United’s new head coach Ruben Amorim says he is confident of putting the club back where it “belongs”.

    Amorim flew into Manchester on Monday after being confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s replacement.

    The 39-year-old is the seventh man since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 to take up the challenge of trying to get United competing for major trophies again.

    None of them has been able to engineer a sustained Premier League title push, taken United beyond the last eight of the Champions League or completed three full seasons in the job.

    In his first public comments since arriving in the UK, former Sporting boss Amorim told United’s club media he is determined to change that narrative.

    “I will try to do everything to put this club in the place that it belongs,” he said.

    “And I believe a lot that we are going to succeed.”

    United have posted a number social media images of Amorim meeting players, executives and some fans who were on a tour of Old Trafford when he walked into the home dressing room.

    He has also tried to soak in some of the club’s storied past. Not just the record 20 English titles and three European Cups but also the dark days of the Munich air disaster and the rise to glory under Sir Matt Busby.

    While most supporters were not alive when that happened, Amorim feels it is important players understand the magnitude of the club they are playing for.

    “You see the trophies and you see the tragedy that we have as a club,” he said. “You understand the history, after the crash, then we were European champions. It is important to put this kind of strength in the team.

    “When the players come here, they should make the same tour. It is very important. You have to feel this is Manchester United.”

    As the players he met earlier in the week, including England trio Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount, were all doing rehabilitation, it will be next week before Amorim will really get to work.

    Alejandro Garnacho and Manuel Ugarte have World Cup qualifying commitments in South America in the early hours of Wednesday morning UK time, so it will likely be Friday before he has his full squad together to prepare for his first game in charge, at Ipswich, on 24 November.

    Amorim accepts not everything will be to his satisfaction. But he is promising fans they will see a team that is inherently his.

    “The most important thing for me at this moment is to create the principles, the identity and the character we had in the past,” he said.

    “We will focus a lot on our game model – how to play, how to press, these small things. You cannot go 100% on every detail because it will be confusing for the players. But if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, it is identity.”

    Judgement around Amorim’s appointment will be made against United’s new structure, from co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, through board member Sir Dave Brailsford, chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.

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    Berrada has been the driving force behind Amorim’s appointment, with Ashworth and Wilcox the executives he will be working with most closely.

    Amorim says he feels there is a strong connection already and he can see the excitement around Ineos’ wider plans for the club.

    “We want to do something special in a special club – that was a key point,” he said.

    “When Manchester United told me about their plans, you get excited. We know if the team plays well and wins games, everything looks so much better and the people really start to believe in the new stadium and new ideas.

    “It’s a real honour that I was the first choice to start that path.”

  • Manchester United host Chelsea live on Dstv, Gotv

    Manchester United host Chelsea live on Dstv, Gotv

    Premier League big boys, Manchester United and Chelsea will continue their rivalry at Old Trafford on Sunday,  with bragging rights of their boisterous fans at stake.

    Both teams are separated by six points in the table, with Chelsea in 5th  position and United 14th .

    Following their 2-1 defeat at West Ham last weekend, Manchester United parted ways with their Dutch manager,  Erik Ten Hag on Monday, with another Dutchman, Ruud Van Nistelrooy installed as caretaker coach.

    Having seen his side spank Leicester City 5-2 in a round of 16 Carabao Cup match on Wednesday, the former United striker will be in the dugout for his first Premier League game as a coach on Sunday. Chelsea were bundled out of the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 defeat away at Newcastle and now visit a ground where they haven’t won a league match since 2013. Watch the match live on DStv channel 203 and GOtv channel  66, at 5:30 pm tomorrow.

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    Arsenal will travel to Saint James’ Park to face Newcastle in the early kick-off match today,  live on DStv channel  203 and GOtv channel  66, at 1:30 pm. Reliable defender,   Gabriel Magalhaes is a doubt for the Gunners, while captain, Martin Odegaard, is out with an ankle injury.  Arsenal lost the corresponding fixture 1-0 in controversial circumstances last season, after which their manager, Mikel Arteta, described the officiating as “a disgrace”.

    In the other Premier League matches Bournemouth will host Manchester City,  Liverpool host Brighton, and Tottenham Hotspurs host Aston Villa. All Premier League matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport channels available on DStv and Gotv.

    La Liga champions, Real Madrid will have to put their Clasico defeat and Ballon d’Or disappointments behind them as they travel to Valencia this weekend. Watch the match live on DStv channel  204 and GOtv channel  62 at 9 pm on Saturday.  In the other La Liga futures, Atletico Madrid will face Las Palmas; Barcelona will host city rivals Espanyol; Kelechi Iheanacho’s Sevilla will host Real Sociedad; while Athletic Bilbao will face Real Betis. All the matches will be broadcast live on DStv channel  204 and GOtv channel  62.

  • Ruben Amorim: Manchester United’s new ‘Special One’

    Ruben Amorim: Manchester United’s new ‘Special One’

    Manchester United have named Portuguese Ruben Amorim as head coach to replace Erik ten Hag, the Premier League club said, hoping one of Europe’s brightest young managers can restore the struggling team to former glories.

    The 39-year-old will join United on Nov. 11 with a contract until 2027, and a club option for an additional year, once he has fulfilled his obligations to Sporting — a club he revived during his four-and-a-half years in charge.

    “Ruben is one of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football,” United said in a statement.

    “Highly decorated as both a player and coach, his titles include winning the Primeira Liga twice in Portugal with Sporting CP; the first of which was the club’s first title in 19 years.

    “Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue to take charge of the team until Ruben joins.”

    The charismatic Amorim, who usually employs a crowd-pleasing 3-4-3 formation with high pressing and possession-based football, took Sporting to Primeira Liga titles in 2021 and 2024 and they lead the standings again this season.

    United, who have been in the doldrums by their standards since manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, moved swiftly to secure Amorim after axing Dutchman Ten Hag on Oct. 28 following another woeful start to the season.

    The club agreed to pay 11 million euros ($11.96 million) to trigger a release clause in Amorim’s contract.

    He will be United’s youngest manager since 31-year-old Wilf McGuinness succeeded Matt Busby in June 1969.

    With United languishing 14th in the Premier League, their former player and assistant coach Van Nistelrooy was appointed interim manager, with the Dutchman overseeing a 5-2 League Cup fourth round victory over Leicester City in his first match.

    He will in charge for three more games before Amorim arrives — including Sunday’s home league match against Chelsea — and has said he would like to continue at the club.

    Amorim’s first United fixture will be a Nov. 24 league game at promoted Ipswich Town, after the international break.

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    His first home game will be in the Europa League against Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt on Nov. 28, with another Premier League game against Everton at Old Trafford the next weekend.

    Amorim, a former midfielder who played for Portugal, becomes United’s sixth permanent manager since their most successful boss Ferguson, who led the club to a record 13 league titles.

    “The character and charisma compared to Erik ten Hag will be the big difference,” former United and England defender turned pundit Rio Ferdinand said.

    “United need someone with the character and charisma to go ‘You know what? I don’t care what has happened here, I see a player in you.’ You need someone who is going to be like that.”

    Amorim, whose United staff will be named at a later date, was coveted by several of Europe’s top clubs, including Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, when they were in the market for new managers in the close season.

    He was hailed as a hero for reviving Sporting after he was appointed in March 2020, the club’s third manager that season, which was a remarkable feat considering his age.

    Amorim had just led Braga to League Cup success after two months in charge, and enjoyed 10 wins in 13 games in all competitions, including their first away win in 65 years over Benfica where he spent nine years as a player.

    Sporting came calling, signing him for 10 million euros. Amorim instilled the clear identity Sporting lacked and they ended their 19-year league title drought in a remarkable 2020-21 season in which they lost once and won the League Cup.

    Last season, they lost just two league games and finished 10 points ahead of second-placed Benfica.

    Amorim played professionally for 14 years, mainly as a central midfielder, and featured 14 times for Portugal. He made his senior first-team debut for Belenenses in Portugal’s first division in 2003 before signing for Benfica in 2008.

    He retired in 2017 aged 32 after over a year without playing having torn knee ligaments and enrolled in management courses.

    Amorim is no stranger to Old Trafford, having done an internship under then-United boss Jose Mourinho in 2018, and has called the Portuguese coach a “reference point” in his career.

    His laid back demeanour means he is well liked by the media.

    Amorim already has a fan at United in their captain, Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who said this month: “Since Mr Amorim arrived at Sporting, it has been one of the teams to play the best football.

    “Sporting went 20 years without winning championships and Amorim arrived and has already won two, this shows that the work has been done well.”

    FACTBOX: RUBEN AMORIM

    Born: Jan. 21, 1985, in Lisbon.

    PLAYING CAREER

    •Amorim began his career at hometown club Belenenses, where he played primarily as a midfielder from 2003-08.

    •Spent the rest of his career at Benfica, where he won three Primeira League titles, and had loan spells at Braga and Al-Wakrah in Qatar.

    •Retired in 2017 after more than a year out of action due to injury.

    •Made 14 appearances for Portugal, appearing at two World Cups.

    COACHING CAREER

    •Amorim started his coaching career in 2018 at Casa Pia in the Portuguese third tier, but resigned after receiving a suspension for giving instructions during a game without having completed the required coaching badges.

    •Took charge of Braga’s reserve team in September, 2019 and in December was promoted to first team coach replacing the sacked Ricardo Sa Pinto, and in January his side won the Portuguese League Cup.

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    •Amorim left Braga in March 2020 to take over at Sporting.

    AMORIM AT SPORTING

    •Replaced the sacked Silas at Sporting on March 4, 2020.

    •In his first full season in charge, 2020-21, Amorim led Sporting to their first league title since 2002, going 32 league matches unbeaten. Sporting also won the League Cup, defeating Amorim’s former club Braga in the final.

    •Sporting finished second in the league the following season and retained the League Cup.

    •Last season Amorim won his second league title as Sporting coach.

    •Amorim had been one of the managers linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and held talks with West Ham United last season before turning down their offer.

    •Sporting lead the Portuguese top-flight standings this season with a 100% record after nine games.

    •On Tuesday, one day after United sacked Erik Ten Hag, Sporting confirmed the Premier League club’s interest in Amorim and their willingness to pay the 10 million euros ($10.87 million) release clause.

  • BREAKING: Manchester United sack Ten Hag after poor runs

    BREAKING: Manchester United sack Ten Hag after poor runs

    Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.

    Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

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    “We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future,” the club said in a statement on Monday.

    It added: “Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.”