Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer believes the club don’t need to be good on the pitch to remain a major commercial force.
The American made the comments at Deutsche Bank’s first Sports Investment Conference in London in September. He reportedly said United were like the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys, whose commercial appeal has survived long periods without major trophies.
United have not won the Premier League since 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson retired. They finished second under Jose Mourinho in 2018 and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021 but have failed to mount a serious title challenge since.
The club’s poor results have also led to renewed protests against the Glazer family, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and senior executives. Supporters voiced their anger during defeats against Bournemouth and Chelsea, as well as the recent 3-2 Champions League win over Roma. Michael Carrick’s position had come under pressure after United dropped to 17th in the league.
Glazer’s comments are similar to those made by former executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward in 2018. United had just finished second in the Premier League and reported record revenue of £590m when Woodward was asked whether their improved results had helped the club’s commercial business.
“Playing performance doesn’t really have a meaningful impact on what we can do on the commercial side of the business,” he said.
The same view has reportedly been shared with United’s commercial staff, who have been told that poor results should not be used as an excuse for missing income targets.
