Mourinho axe cost £19.6m
UNITED REVEAL HUGE PAY-OFF
MANCHESTER United paid Jose Mourinho and his backroom staff £ 19.6million to sack them in December, the Premier League club have revealed.
Mourinho received around £15m, with five of his close allies, including goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro and coaches Stefano Rapetti and Carlos Lalin, sharing the remainder.
The pay- offs, listed under ‘exceptional items’ in the financial results United released yesterday, mean the Old Trafford club have shelled out £33.2m in severance payments to David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and now Mourinho since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Mourinho and his backroom team also received £23.1m when they were sacked by Chelsea in 2007, and a further £ 8.3m when they left Stamford Bridge in 2015.
Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice- chairman, received a healthy pay rise, seeing his salary increase from £2.6m to £4.1m thanks to a one-off sharesrelated bonus.
Woodward praised the impact of interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but would not be drawn on whether the Norwegian will be given the job on a permanent basis. He said in a statement: ‘The appointment of Ole and Mike Phelan as caretaker manager and assistant manager has had a positive impact throughout the club.
‘ We are delighted with the improvement in the team’s performances since December and we look forward to a strong finish to the season.’
United posted record revenues of £208.6m for the last quarter, which ended on December 31, and an operating profit of £44m. But the real boost came from broadcasting — up £28.5m (37.9 per cent) to £103.7m, thanks to UEFA’s new Champions League broadcasting deal.
The club also agreed new contracts with Anthony Martial, Ashley Young, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Scott McTominay.
Those deals helped lift the club’s wage bill for the quarter to £ 77.9m, an increase of £ 8.2m (11.8 per cent) on the corresponding period a year ago.
The club are forecasting annual revenue to be between £615m and £630m — which would break their own record of £590m, set last year.