One of most testing periods in Manchester United’s 142 year history, confesses Ed Woodward

Like most Premier League clubs, Manchester United have returned to small group training which has been named phase one training sessions. Phase two will see things slowly get ramped up as the clubs and players look to slowly but steadily get back to match fitness. That is the Premier League’s plan with the English top tier having pencilled in a June 12 restart. But like most clubs, the financial impact of the coronavirus has played a major part on Manchester United.

The Red Devils have already lost around £28 million but they expect the final figure to be much higher once the season is officially over. Reports have indicated that out of that £28 million, £20 million is the money that the club will have to hand back in TV revenue even if the season is completed. That combined with other issues has seen Ed Woodward admit that this has been “one of the most extraordinary and testing periods” in the club’s history.

"It is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary and testing periods in the 142-year history of Manchester United. This club is built on resilience in the face of adversity and those qualities are being proven once again now. We remain firmly optimistic about the long-term prospects for the club and for our exciting, young team. The coronavirus has caused significant disruption to our operations, including the postponement of all matches since mid-March and the temporary closure of our retail, catering and visitor facilities at Old Trafford,” Woodward said reported ESPN. 

"We are encouraged by the return of the German Bundesliga, which was the first major European league to restart last weekend, with the successful completion of nine matches, all played behind closed doors. As in Germany and elsewhere, it is now inevitable that our matches will initially be played behind closed doors when the season resumes. These results reflect a partial impact that the pandemic has had on the club, while the greater impact will be in the current quarter and likely beyond. There are still profound challenges ahead, and for football as a whole, and it is safe to say it will not be 'business as usual' for some time."