Employees of Manchester United have been informed that redundancies will take place as part of the professional football club’s transformation plan. This second round will affect about 150 to 200 jobs. The previous round was witness to 250 employees being rendered redundant last year, as part of cost-cutting efforts.
The transformation plan is aimed at making the English club profitable once again, and also make it more sustainable and efficient. The club has reportedly been incurring losses for the past five years or so.
The redundancies will be implemented in consultation with the employees over the next three to four months.
The headcount at Manchester United stood at 1,140 employees about eight months ago. As per the Q2 financial results posted last week, the club’s losses amounted to £27.7m.
The club is looking to improve its financial stability so that it can consider infrastructural improvements and more investments in men’s and women’s football.
It is the club’s priority to improve facilities for all stakeholders, including its fans.
As part of cost-cutting measures, the staff canteen had also been closed at Old Trafford. On the orders of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of the club, the free lunches are being replaced with fruits. By discontinuing free lunches the club hopes to save £1m.
Carrington, better known as the Trafford Training Centre, which serves as the training ground and academy headquarters for Manchester United, will henceforth offer free lunches only to players, while non-playing employees will have to make do with soup and bread.
