Ornstein confirms financial impact on UEFA Cup final defeat

Ruben Amorin and Manchester United boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

David Ornstein of The Athletic commented on how Manchester United's loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Cup final will have.

Manchester United faced Tottenham in the Europa League final on Wednesday, the most important game of their 2024/25 season.

The match didn't work as expected as they looked like the 16th and 17th-ranked teams in the Premier League, but Tottenham ended up a 17-year trophy drought by beating the Red Devils 1-0.

This brought a huge encouragement to Tottenham, as the victory could be said to have saved a disastrous season, with trophys, Champions League qualification and huge prizes.

Meanwhile, Manchester United's performance on Wednesday night was arguably down to a new low as they performed poorly in Bilbao's match and barely beat their Premier League rivals.

Manchester United's performance in the UEFA Cup is their only lifesaver in this chaotic season, but they will face an uncertain future without the cash injections brought by the return to the Champions League.

The team needs to be reorganized on a large scale, because most of the players in Ruben Amorin's team are not suitable for the style the head coach prefers, or are not excellent enough to be the starter of the six major clubs.

There are signs that the Red Devils may need to sell players to buy players this summer, but Ornstein has taken action to appease the club's supporters before the summer transfer window opens.

In an interview with The Athletic, Ornstein explained: "United United do not have a budget for European matches next season, so last night's game was extremely painful for us, but it wouldn't be totally shocking."

He continued: "This money can be used to make a few deals (Matus Cunia and Liam Delapp were the club's initial choice, but let's see how things will go) and then some players need to be sold.

"Of course, although the final loss has had a lot of negative financial impact on them, there are also some comforting things, such as not having to pay the Champions League qualification bonus as stipulated in most players' contracts.

"United States has been complying with PSR regulations so far, but I think there will be a bigger challenge next year, which is part of the reason we see clubs taking such a massive cost-cutting measure.

"This is also why there is a need to sell players in large quantities, including some local players representing pure profits from an accounting point of view. ”

If Manchester United wins the UEFA Cup, Sir Jim Ratcliff and Inex Group will plan to hold barbecue events for players, coaches and staff as a cheaper and more low-key alternative to the bus parade.

People originally thought the barbecue event would be cancelled, but reports from the Mirror confirmed that the club's head had "decided" that the barbecue event would "continue" and "support" Amorin.