Manchester United considering midweek friendlies abroad

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Manchester United players hold aloft the Champions League trophy after winning the tournament in 2008
United were Champions League winners as recently as 2008 - but they are not in this year's tournament

Manchester United are thinking about playing midweek friendlies abroad, says one of the club's directors.

Reports suggest a lack of Champions League football this season could cost United more than £40m.

United's managing director Richard Arnold says lucrative fixtures overseas are something the club will "continue to look at".

An early League Cup exit means they will play only three more midweek games this season, all in the Premier League.

Manchester United's 2014 summer tour
Opposition (Venue)ScoreAttendance
LA Galaxy (Pasadena)W 7-086,432
Roma (Denver)W 3-254,117
Inter Milan (Washington)D 0-0 (W 5-3 pens)61,238
Real Madrid (Michigan)W 3-1109,318
Liverpool (Miami)W 3-151,014

United won the Champions League as recently as 2008, but their seventh-place finish last season under David Moyes meant they missed out on European club football's premier competition for the first time in 19 years.

The club reported a record annual revenue of £433.2m for the financial year 2013-2014, and profits of £23.8m.

But not being in a European competition this year could affect that revenue by around 10%.

More than 100,000 fans watched United's 3-1 win over Real Madrid in Michigan this summer during the side's pre-season tour of the United States.

And Arnold believes manager Louis van Gaal would be receptive to similar fixtures during the Premier League campaign.

"We have a fantastic partnership in terms of our work off the pitch and I'm very appreciative of the support we have had from him," Arnold said.

Louis van Gaal is mobbed by supporters on Manchester United's pre-season tour
Arnold believes manager Van Gaal would be keen on the idea of friendlies during the season

"For many years of our [pre-season] international tours, there is a plan to ensure we get that team building that goes together with getting the team all together in one place.

"That's something that's being looked at."

Meanwhile, United striker Robin van Persie says Van Gaal is installing a Dutch mentality on the squad's meetings.

"It's very demanding in a good way as you have to be focused every single day of the sessions or the meeting," Van Persie says.

"You have to give your own input, which is what the staff likes. That's a bit of the Dutch thing."

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748 comments

  • Comment posted by Riggadon, at 12:16 30 Sep 2014

    @95.....or the fact that Paul Ince seems unable to get it into his head that he has had multiple chances to be a manager and flopped them all and now cant get a job because chairman know how useless he is......and then puts it down to the colour of his skin and attempts to cause maximum trouble......we could talk about that.

  • Comment posted by chappers09, at 12:12 30 Sep 2014

    This is a ridiculous idea.

    Genuinely concerned the BBC are trying to increase the hatred for United with all these pointless non-stories.

    Why aren't we discussing the ridiculous comments by Jason Roberts over a hidden racial agenda or perhaps discuss how well Leicester are playing currently, or the miracle Koeman is pulling off at Saints despite many thinking they were doomed?

    Frustrating.

  • Comment posted by U16149473, at 11:46 30 Sep 2014

    United playing smaller clubs in britain struggling to get by and giving them some much needed revenue would make them a bit more popular.

  • Comment posted by markyhamps75, at 15:01 30 Sep 2014

    @359 Things more important than this:

    1. CFC, MCFC, AFC & LFC in CL action, like tonight.
    2. THFC & EFC in Europa.
    3. Soton's rise.
    4. Black coaches debate.
    5. WBA truly turning it around.
    6. Mourinho's double ambitions.
    7. LFC & EFC's current plight after last season (ManU are exactly where they were)
    8. Leicester's good start.
    9. Pardew staying in job.
    10. Wolves' turnaround

    Yep, at least 10.

  • Comment posted by Erstwhile Semaphore, at 12:03 30 Sep 2014

    Really?

    Is BBC sport that biased towards Manchester United, that rather that focus headline attention on the clubs that earned the right to play in the Champions League this evening (neither of which I support); instead you lavish it, yet again, upon the club you seem to believe has a divine right to attention, regardless of performance.

    Seriously, enough is enough.

    This bias must stop.

  • Comment posted by red77, at 12:17 30 Sep 2014

    As an LFC fan I think this is a great idea (up there with not buying a decent defender or 2). Why would resting midweek be of benefit to the players when there's addtional cash for playing meaningless friendlies. Hopefully acrue some midweek injuries, dont qualify for the CL, again, and maybe play next season in the EL or better yet play more in season midweek friendlies. Genius! Please do this.

  • Comment posted by Guernsey Red, at 11:38 30 Sep 2014

    Clearly a commercial decision not a football one. Van Gaal's view on the US tour implies he will be anything but "receptive" to this!

    As a Utd fan, I'd be much more interested to here NUFC fans' views on Pardew rather than the predictable 1000 hysterical comments about Utd that will now follow! Some harsh words about Rooney would have been more fun too!

  • Comment posted by how much for the club cat, at 12:40 30 Sep 2014

    Greed, no other word for it.

    Hope I never hear a whinge about fixture congestion again.

  • Comment posted by Forestfan, at 11:37 30 Sep 2014

    Can we open up a HYS on the black managers in football story please.
    Manu friendlies, or any other club friendlies for that matter aren't important.

  • Comment posted by RYGnotB, at 17:27 30 Sep 2014

    7 articles about mid-table Man U since their latest match, 1 article for second-placed Southampton. Ridiculous.

  • Comment posted by U15399086, at 15:53 30 Sep 2014

    Is there just one team in the Premier League? Why is nearly every story about Manchester United? We have a huge day of Champions League matches and this is the highlight? Is this story interesting? What is this ridiculous obsession BBC have with Man United? Appalling.

  • Comment posted by Buff My Barnaby Rudge, at 14:50 30 Sep 2014

    Blah blah Man U again. A busted club with a busted brand. And yes I know they sell more shirts, get more sponsorship and occupy more column inches than any other club. But they don't win enough games anymore - that's what it's about - remember? There are at least 10 stories more deserving of discussion than this drivel.

  • Comment posted by FootieFan81, at 11:50 30 Sep 2014

    Enjoyable as it is to knock United, this isn't the most absurd idea given their global fan base in order to generate lost revenue. I just wonder which marque opponents there are in Europe as most are in the CL. Flying to the lucrative American and Far East markets will take their tool domestically. Surely better to get back into the CL? Ask yourself, would Sir Alex have put up with it?

  • Comment posted by effaheap, at 11:34 30 Sep 2014

    A significant example of what a crackpot 'winter break' scenario would look like: teams would jet off to warmer climes to play some footie.

    I would have thought some mid-week searching for capable central defenders by LVG might be more applicable.

  • Comment posted by Alexander Storch, at 19:14 30 Sep 2014

    Oh dear, I'm a United fan and I'm sick to death (and embarrassed) of the continual non- stories about United that make the HYS section.
    With all the relevant and thoroughly interesting news items that we would love to be talking about e.g Southamptons lofty (and deserved) position and many more we get stuck with this rubbish.

  • Comment posted by bluest-man, at 12:57 30 Sep 2014

    It would be kind of nice if they spread their wealth around the lower leagues of English football ...... How about mid-week Friendlies against Gillingham, Cambridge, Swindon etc one bumper gate a year would really help these clubs

    Oh yes Man U might spot some English player worth developing too, as might City, chelsea and arsenal it they were to do the same from time to time!

  • Comment posted by SirDukeofLondon, at 12:53 30 Sep 2014

    This is glorious!
    How stupendously undignified!
    The once Great Man U reduced to touting for meaningless friendlies to make a quick buck.
    Didn't qualify for Europe because you weren't good enough - get over it!

  • Comment posted by Luke, at 11:35 30 Sep 2014

    Won't 'lucrative fixture' teams already be playing Champions League and not want the extra games?

  • Comment posted by mockba, at 15:49 30 Sep 2014

    Maybe LvG, should take on board Felix Magath's advice & rub some cheese on the problem.
    Since the Dutch approach is going well, how about some Edam

  • Comment posted by Jon, at 17:57 30 Sep 2014

    Why not go the whole hog and turn Man Utd into football's equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters if money is the only ambition. Screw the real fans, it's all about greed, greed, greed.

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