Manchester United will face Tottenham in the Europa League final in Bilbao later this month
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has decided not to provide free Europa League final tickets to Manchester United staff members, continuing his stringent cost-cutting measures.
The Reds will compete in the grand event in Bilbao, but unlike Tottenham, they won’t be offering their employees complimentary tickets. United will face the north London team in an all-Premier League match-up and have been allocated approximately 15,000 tickets for the May 21 showdown.
The Manchester club is conducting a draw where a limited number of tickets will be available for their staff. Instead, most employees are invited, along with a guest, to a local screening of the match.
According to the Daily Mail, Ratcliffe’s thrifty approach means that staff members will receive two free drinks, while their guests will need to purchase their own. In contrast, Tottenham has opted to provide every full-time employee with a free ticket to the Bilbao match, potentially benefiting up to 700 individuals.
There is a feeling within Old Trafford that the club is prioritising fans over staff, as tickets are highly sought after. This is the Reds’ first European final since 2021 when they were defeated in the Europa League final.
At that time, they had only 2,000 tickets as the world was beginning to recover from Covid lockdowns.
In the past, when United had larger allocations, they covered the costs of flights, accommodation, and meals for staff attending the last three Champions League finals in which the club participated.
For the 2017 Europa League final, the club received a mere 10,000 tickets. Consequently, they organised an event in Manchester where drinks would be complimentary, with entertainment provided by former Take That member Gary Barlow.
However, this event was cancelled following the Manchester Arena terror attack. Since Ratcliffe and Ineos took over in Manchester, two rounds of redundancies have been implemented as the billionaire aims to reduce expenses and channel more revenue towards the team.
Staff have seen several perks removed, including the cancellation of the Christmas party. Ratcliffe’s approach starkly contrasts with that of PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is funding the travel of 600 staff members from the Parisian club to the Champions League final.
All club employees will have the opportunity to attend the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31, as the French side attempts to secure their first European victory.
Both teams have been allocated approximately 19,000 tickets for the match, and it has also been reported that Inter Milan are offering free tickets to their staff for the showdown at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
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2025-05-10 22:04:54
