Man United Lays Off 200 Staff After Europa Loss

Manchester United has begun up to 200 new redundancies affecting both football and non-football staff, including physios, masseurs, and scouts, just hours after their Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao. These layoffs are part of aggressive cost-cutting measures led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe following his minority takeover, raising total job losses at the club to 450 in just over a year. The timing, coming immediately after a staff barbecue and the financial blow of missing out on £100 million from Champions League qualification, has sparked internal backlash and deepened low morale. Executives defend the cuts as necessary for a club 'transformation plan' aimed at restoring profitability. Additionally, up to 14 players are reportedly up for sale to help balance the books amid growing fan unrest. The scale and timing of these actions underscore the turmoil and uncertainty at Old Trafford under the new regime.