MANCHESTER: Manchester United posted record revenues in their latest annual accounts despite missing out on Champions League soccer and enduring their its worst-ever Premier League campaign.
But despite revenues of 666.5 million pounds ($910 million) the 20-time English champion still reported losses of 33 million pounds ($45 million).
“To have generated record revenues during such a challenging year for the club demonstrate the resilience which is a hallmark of Manchester United,” chief executive Omar Berrada said.
The accounts for the year ending June 30, 2025, came after minority owner Jim Ratcliffe embarked on cost-cutting measures, which have seen two rounds of job cuts with an estimated reduction of more than 400 members of staff, as well as ticket price hikes.
United told fans in January they could not sustain their losses and Ratcliffe later said the club were in danger of running out of money by the end of the year.
Losses fell from 113.2 million pounds to 33 million.
United’s commercial strength comes despite their ongoing troubles on the field, which have seen them struggle to keep pace with Premier League rivals like Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal.
They did not play in the lucrative Champions League last season and finished 15th in England’s 20-team top division — their lowest since the inception of the Premier League in 1992.
They also recorded their lowest points total and highest number of losses, which led to them failing to qualify for any European soccer competition this season.
United have not won the league title since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
This season has not started well either, with Ruben Amorim’s team only winning one of four games and having been eliminated from the English League Cup by fourth-tier Grimsby Town.
“As we settle into the 2025-26 season, we are working hard to improve the club in all areas,” Berrada said. “As we start to feel the benefits of our cost-reduction program, there is significant potential for improved financial performance, which will, in turn, support our overriding priority: success on the pitch.”
United said costs of 36.6 million ($50 million) included the departure of former manager Erik ten Hag, who was fired last October.
United’s principal debt remains at $650 million.
Man United post record revenues but are still making losses
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Man United post record revenues but are still making losses
- Despite revenues of $910m the 20-time English champion still reported losses of $45m
- Losses fell from 113.2 million pounds to 33 million
FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign welcomes Palestinian student
- Ghada Ashour, 24, who grew up in Gaza, becomes fifth scholar selected for FIA’s flagship scholarship initiative
DUBAI: The FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign has welcomed Ghada Ashour, a 24-year-old student from Palestine, to its flagship scholarship program, created to empower the next generation of researchers in the fight against online abuse in sport.
Ashour grew up in Gaza where she had been studying remotely until gaining a place on the UAOA scholarship, which brought her to Dublin City University, Ireland.
Becoming the fifth scholar to join the program, she was selected based on her interests in social media, and passion for advancing insights in this area for the benefit of sportspeople.
Launched in 2023, the program offers talented students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds the chance to engage in research on the impact, prevalence, and prevention of online abuse in sport.
Funded by the FIA Foundation, the UAOA scholars have been selected to undertake research dedicated to positive social change.
Ashour’s thesis, which will be printed in English and Arabic, will focus specifically on the relationship between athlete activism and online abuse.
Athletes increasingly speak out on war, conflict, and social and environmental issues. Although the attention such athletes bring can be positive, research indicates it can lead to significant abuse.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, founder of the UAOA campaign, said: “The FIA is committed to extending opportunities across the world while inspiring and developing the next generation.
“Education lies at the core of this mission, and I am pleased to welcome Ghada as the latest student in the UAOA Scholarship Programme.
“Her experience and research will help broaden the international perspective on this critical issue. This pioneering research program will help ensure we safeguard the future of sport for generations to come.”
Ashour said she was “truly grateful” to the FIA leader: “It is a dream come true to study the subject I am passionate about at a leading institution in this field.
“I am so excited to advance the field of research in online abuse in sport and to contribute to this prevalent topic which is impacting so many people’s lives on a daily basis.”
The UAOA’s 2025 Barometer Report found that 75 percent of sports federations report continued threats against competitors and their families, and that 90 percent believe abuse could force athletes to leave their sport.
Dublin City University is a leading academic institution in the study of online abuse.
Each scholar is fully funded and mentored by leading experts in the field. They are able to attend UAOA events, where they can share their findings with a global audience of policymakers, sports federations, and digital platforms.
The inaugural cohort of four UAOA scholars included participants from Italy, South Africa, the UK, and Mexico.
