Mourinho chop cost United $25m
LONDON — Manchester United revealed on Thursday that firing Jose Mourinho cost the club $25 million, with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward hailing the impact of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The sum of 19.6 million pounds which is listed under “exceptional items” in the club’s second-quarter results, includes payouts for the members of Mourinho’s staff who left with him after he was fired in December.
The fortunes of the Premier League club have been transformed since Solskjaer took the helm as interim boss.
United is now in the top four after being 11 points adrift of the Champions League places when Mourinho left.
Solskjaer won 10 and drew one of his opening 11 games but the remarkable run came to an end on Tuesday, when United lost 2-0 at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
United resumes its silverware quest with an FA Cup fifth-round clash at Chelsea on Monday.
Speaking on a conference call with investors, Woodward hailed the “fantastic start” under the Norwegian, who set a club record by winning his first eight matches in charge.
But he refused to be drawn on the process of appointing a permanent manager.
“We communicated around December time about what we were doing putting Ole in place as a caretaker and the next communication with regard to this will be when we have something to announce regarding the manager,” he said.
He was also coy on the club’s reported move for a director of football.
“A lot has obviously been written about this .... With regard to the overall structure, we are looking at that and at ways that we can make it stronger and that is something we do on a continual basis,” he said.
United announced record revenues of 208.6 million pounds for the quarter, which translate into pre-tax earnings of 104.3 million pounds and an operating profit of 44 million pounds.
As well as replacing the Mourinho regime with Solskjaer and assistant manager Mike Phelan, the club has recently agreed new contracts with striker Anthony Martial, defenders Ashley Young, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, and midfielder Scott McTominay.
The club’s wage bill for the quarter, which ended on Dec 31, was 77.9 million pounds, an increase of 11.8 percent on the corresponding period a year ago.
Real Madrid last month knocked Manchester United off the top of Deloitte’s Football Money League after two years at the top for the Old Trafford club.
United’s share price, which hit $17.28 in New York in December, is now heading back towards $20.