Manchester United have acknowledged the “risk” of their team’s performance suffering over the five-year period it will take to construct their new £2billion stadium. The club has unveiled an ambitious plan to demolish Old Trafford and erect a new 100,000-seater stadium on nearby land, with the goal of kicking off the 2030-31 season in their new home.
Former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson praised the project as a “brave” move, but CEO Omar Berrada conceded that the expensive venture could potentially impact the team. “That is a risk,” Berrada admitted. “Clearly it’s something we want to avoid. We don’t want to inhibit our ability to invest in the team. We want us to continue being competitive while we are building a new stadium.
“We are not necessarily going to be investing significant amounts. But that’s going to be out of choice, because we want to manage our football costs more efficiently.”
Berrada suggested several strategies to mitigate this risk, including shortening construction timelines to complete the new stadium within five years – a goal he described as their. He added: “There are various ways around that. One of the things we’re looking at is to shorten the construction timelines so we can have a new stadium within five years – that’s our ambition.”
“Also, in the meantime, it’s by getting our finances back in order and becoming profitable. We believe that way, we can be very competitive.”
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Announcing the project, United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe stated: “Manchester United is the world’s most favourite football club and, in my view, is the biggest and deserves a stadium fitting of its stature.
“A really good example is the Eiffel tower. Everybody around the world knows the Eiffel tower and I’m sure that many people here who have visited Paris, you stay in a hotel, you go to the Eiffel tower.
“We have one billion people around the world who follow Manchester United. They will all want to visit this stadium.
“I think everybody in the world who is interested in Manchester United – and football – will want to come and visit this stadium.”
Former United manager Ferguson stated: “Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in.
“Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made.”