Ruben Amorim future
Ruben Amorim plunged his own Manchester United future into doubt after the latest Old Trafford debacle.
The Portuguese manager’s admission that he is struggling to find a solution for his team’s shocking season was a clear sign of the uncertainty at the heart of the club.
But the bigger question marks will only be resolved in Bilbao next week. A Europa League Final win for United over Tottenham will mean far more than just the trophy and a silver sheen to cleanse many of the black clouds of despair.
But defeat in the Basque country will have ramifications to last far beyond the summer. In simple terms, it is about cold, hard cash. The reality is that winning the Europa League will ensure a looming black hole is filled.
If United do not triumph in San Mames, the immediate cost will be clear. A £10million cut in sponsorship revenue, as part of the contract with kit suppliers adidas.
No European football at all, meaning they will miss out on around £49m up front through Uefa’s complicated revenue distribution system plus the £20m-plus in gate receipts from the minimum four home games.
And if, as now seems likely, they do finish 16th in the Prem table, that will mean £23.8m less in TV-related prize money than for last term’s eight-placed finish.
That all adds up to more than £100m, before the prize money for progress through the Champions League – up to a further potential £95m or so – is taken into account. Less income equals less money to spend.
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