Mourinho sacking cost United $34m
Sacking Jose Mourinho cost Manchester United £19.6 million (S$34m), the English Premier League club said yesterday, although they still expect to meet their financial targets for the year.
Mourinho departed in December, following a run of dismal results and the club have appointed former striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker manager for the rest of the season.
Revenue for the three months ended Dec 31 was £208.6m, compared with £177.4m a year earlier, as a new rights agreement for the lucrative Champions League helped broadcasting revenue surge 38 per cent.
The 20-time English champions said they continue to expect revenue of £615-630m and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of £175-190m for 2018-19.
HARRISON DIES
Meanwhile, Eric Harrison, the former youth team coach of United's "Class of 92", has died aged 81, the club announced yesterday.
Harrison, who helped forge the fledgling careers of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Gary and Phil Neville, was diagnosed with dementia four years ago.
Appointed by then United manager Ron Atkinson in 1981, Harrison mentored a number of youngsters, including Mark Hughes and Norman Whiteside.
His greatest success came under Alex Ferguson with the "Class of 92" players forming the backbone of United's treble-winning side of 1999.
"We've lost our mentor, our coach and the man who made us," Gary Neville tweeted.
"He taught us how to play, how to never give up, how important it was to win your individual battles and what we needed to do to play for Man United. Eric, we owe you everything." - AFP, REUTERS
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