No faith in Amorim: Man Utd predict FOUR-year Champions League absence

Tom Weber

Updated: 4 Mar 2025 04:49 CST
3 min read

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ruben Amorim, Man Utd — © IMAGO

Manchester United are financially preparing for a lengthy absence from the Champions League, according to a report.

It has been another dire season at Old Trafford. New coach Ruben Amorim has been unable to arrest Man Utd's form slump since coming in and, on the contrary, he boasts the worst record of any post-Sir Alex Ferguson manager.

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The Red Devils languish in 14th in the Premier League table and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Fulham on Sunday. To make matters worse, the club are in dire straits financially.

There are concerns over the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules and how they will affect Man Utd's ability to reinforce their team in the summer. New co-owners INEOS have implemented a radical and draconian austerity regime to cut costs, making some 450 employees redundant.

The Champions League would offer a much-needed financial reprieve, but there is little hope of qualifying at this point. Man Utd's only realistic avenue back is via the Europa League. They will face Real Sociedad in a round of 16 first-leg on Thursday.

Man Utd plan for long Champions League absence

According to The Telegraph, Man Utd are financially preparing for a lengthy absence from the Champions League and potentially from European football altogether.

The club are budgeting for an upcoming four-year stint in the Europa League rather than the Champions League, the report states. Preparations are also underway for a season without any European football at all to potentially avoid having to make more brutal cuts.

Man Utd's plans are a far cry from the Ferguson days when there was an expectation of reaching at least the quarter-finals of the Champions League every season.

Should they indeed fail to get into Europe next season, Man Utd would be even more reliant on player sales to generate funds in the summer, once again calling into question the future of the club's most valuable assets like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.