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The Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Man Utd pair ‘refused to go on post-season tour of Asia' as reasons for absence is revealed
TWO Manchester United stars reportedly refused to go on the club's disastrous post-season tour of Asia. The Red Devils jetted off for Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong hours after their final Premier League match on May 25. 2 2 Ruben Amorim 's side endured one of the worst United seasons in living memory. The club ended the campaign with no silverware and languishing 15th in the Prem. With a summer overhaul of the squad expected, certain members of the touring party didn't appear delighted to be 6,000-miles from home. According to The Athletic, both Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen refused to go on the tour. The report claims United "originally tried to make [the pair] join the travelling party". But due to family commitments, they were eventually allowed to stay at home. Lindelof's wife Maja is currently heavily pregnant with the pair's third child. She remained in Sweden for the recent Europa League final, with Lindelof joining her once the season ended. Eriksen stayed to tie the knot with long-time partner Sabrina Kvist Jensen. The Danish midfielder wed his girlfriend of almost 15 years at Odense City Hall last Wednesday. Both players are contracted with United until June 30. 'Players are not acting in the right manner' - David Beckham slams Man Utd stars' behaviour after fans clashes on tour They will become free agents next month with no new deal on the table. United's tour has proved to be a shambles both on and off the field. Amorim's men fell to an embarrassing 1-0 defeat to an ASEAN All Star XI in Kuala Lumpur. While Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo were slammed for giving the middle finger to fans in viral videos. Club icon David Beckham was among those to call out the behaviour of the players. He blasted: 'I've seen a lot of things where players are not acting in the right manner. 'A lot of things that are not OK in my eyes as a fan and lover of Manchester United. 'We were part of a team that was so well-mannered. "We understood what it meant to play for Manchester United. We understood what the badge meant. "Wherever we travelled, whether in Europe or Asia, we respected the fans."
The Sun
31-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Man Utd transfer news LIVE: Cherki ‘makes decision' over future, swap planned for Osimhen, Betis in talks for Antony
Lindelof to Barcelona? Victor Lindelof is eyeing a return to Benfica when his Manchester United contract expires this summer. The Swedish defender spent five years on the books of the Portuguese club before earning a £31 million move to Old Trafford in summer 2017. Lindelof is endured an injury ravaged season and has yet to start a Premier League game for the Red Devils. And his campaign took a turn for the worse on Sunday when he missed his penalty as holders United crashed out of the FA Cup to Fulham in a shoot-out. West Ham were one of the clubs who showed an interest in taking him on loan in January – but he looks likely to move as a free agent in the summer. United have not held discussions with Lindelof - who has spent 79 days out injured this season - over an extension to his current deal.
New York Times
31-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Manchester United's post-season tour: Autographs, drinks, swearing and a swift exit from Asia
It was close to 1am local time as Manchester United's players sat on their plane waiting for take-off on the tarmac of Hong Kong International Airport, a first post-season tour of the Premier League era wrapped up in super-quick style. Only two and a half hours earlier, they had finally got their hands on a trophy by lifting the Defining Education Challenge Cup at the Hong Kong Stadium 25 miles away, Chido Obi being given the honours after scoring twice against United's hosts, to cheers from several thousand fans still watching, at last bringing this painful campaign to a close with at least a sliver of cheer. Advertisement United's surgical entrance and exit to and from Asia reflected an acknowledgement by executives that there could be no excess slack to timelines. The players were, according to several sources, 'fuming' to be told of a trip across the globe after a 60-game season and so a swift return to families was essential. The flight out was arranged so that players travelled from the final match at Old Trafford straight to Manchester Airport. United had originally tried to make Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen join the travelling party too, given both still have until the end of June on their contracts. But each one pushed back, with Lindelof's wife heavily pregnant and Eriksen getting married. Had they not had those personal reasons, United would have expected them to fly despite being about to enter free agency. In that climate, the squad decided to enjoy themselves, with the drinks flowing and music blasting on the flight over, which took off around four hours after the final whistle against Aston Villa last Sunday. A club-wide night out was also organised for the Monday in Kuala Lumpur, straight after touching down, with staff joining players in dancing at a club in the city. Blowing off steam away from a football environment was something Ruben Amorim said could help his players come together a few weeks ago , although the Hong Kong leg was more sedate, with no repetition of the England team's famous 'dentist chair' revelry before reaching the semi-finals of Euro 96. The tension of United's trip appeared to be evident in a few instances of players flipping the finger to fans. Amad did so as he walked into the W hotel in Kuala Lumpur, following the first game, later apologising on social media in two posts a day apart but saying his mother had been insulted by an 'unhealthy individual'. The words used are not clear from video footage of the incident. Advertisement Separately, Amad had raised his middle finger in the direction of Alejandro Garnacho during a packed elevator selfie with a couple of fans while Garnacho did the same to camera. Garnacho also showed the gesture at a signing event for supporters in the Adidas shop at the Exchange TRX mall in Kuala Lumpur, causing bemusement to the person taking the picture and as he walked off the pitch following the game against ASEAN All-Stars, the photographer there complained. The gesture, commonly understood to be an insult, was being used in this instance in an ironic, playful manner, sources say. Manuel Ugarte has been doing it in selfies with fans all season but club staff realised the issues, and the negative reaction, and advised players to refrain from doing so in future. There were no reports of it happening in Hong Kong and Garnacho signed several autographs before leaving the stadium. Before Friday's 3-1 win over Hong Kong, China, chief executive Omar Berrada posed for pictures alongside various dignitaries and exuberant Chinese dragons as red flames shot into the air at either end of the pitch. As in Kuala Lumpur, the crowd was not a sell-out, a combination once more of high ticket prices for certain seats and the lustre of this current team not being as compelling as previously. The most expensive seats cost HK$2,990, equivalent to £280, and ultimately, the 40,000-capacity was three-quarters full. In the same ground in 2013, for David Moyes' pre-season after Sir Alex Ferguson retired, the same seats were roughly £70. Nigel Lee, branch secretary of United's official supporters club in Hong Kong, said: 'The fact that we're doing a post-season tour right after the proper season ended speaks volumes for our financial situation. We knew the football isn't going to be great and later, when we saw the tickets… let's just say we felt the pricing was very ambitious.' Advertisement United had initially been expected to play at the Kai Tak Stadium, a new state-of-the-art arena with 50,000 capacity but Singaporean popstar JJ Lin had already been booked to play a concert the weekend before and officials felt there wasn't sufficient time to re-lay the turf. At the Hong Kong Stadium, a small section of Hong Kong, China, ultras kept a din going throughout, and they had reason to make noise when their team took the lead against the run of play, as Tom Heaton allowed Juninho's shot to slide through his hands. Those local fans doing the Poznan to celebrate was another surreal moment in this most bizarre season. Another came shortly after, when Bruno Fernandes was put clear by Tyler Fredricson's pass taking a wicked deflection only for United's captain to try a rabona finish – he had done the same with a pass against ASEAN All-Stars, with goalkeeper Ka-Wing Tse making a good save with his legs. Rasmus Hojlund's poor touch wasted a rebound chance, Jaydan Kamason had his effort cleared off the line, and Hojlund was again unable to get a meaningful connection after Garnacho's cross into the six-yard box. Trailing 1-0 at half-time despite outnumbering Hong Kong, China, by 15 shots to one, summed up this United side. The sporting merits of this tour came secondary to commercial needs but it would have been embarrassing if United lost to a side ranked 153 by FIFA, in between Guyana and Moldova. On the team bus back from Kuala Lumpur's National Stadium Bukit Jalil on Wednesday, there was gallows humour, with the gist being: 'only after the season we've had can we lose a post-season friendly and get booed off by our own fans.' Luckily for United, Obi made sure there was no repeat on Friday. Arriving as a second-half substitute, he equalised with a sharp turn and finish before glancing home Mason Mount's cross to turn the game around. Obi is raw, as some of his touches show, but his instinct for scoring at least provides some comfort after Liam Delap, United's top striker target, chose Chelsea. Advertisement Obi wanted a hat-trick, chasing down a defender and goalkeeper in the 90th minute, and just missing Amad's cross that was headed in by Ayden Heaven to apply a third. The two players United signed from Arsenal's youth system last summer had ensured a satisfactory end to the trip at least. Shea Lacey, whose appearances for United's youth teams have been limited on his return from injury, and Sekou Kone, did well with cameos in the first half. Lee, from the official supporters club, said: 'At half-time, it looked like it could be a worse embarrassment than the game against ASEAN All-Stars. It was obvious that the first-team regulars who started the game had a long, tiring season. I am glad the team got their act together in the second half and turned it around. Chido Obi looked impressive. 'I was also surprised the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho and Casemiro played a full half. From past pre-season tours and the game in Kuala Lumpur, I thought we'd be lucky to see each of them play for 15 minutes. Robin van Persie came on for the final 10 minutes in the 2013 game here. 'It seemed like they were trying to make up for, or 'give face' to, the local supporters for an utterly disappointing season, and a very short stay – less than 36 hours.' The sweltering heat of Kuala Lumpur had inhibited efforts for a comeback but the climate in Hong Kong was much more forgiving. The light rain throughout invited Amorim to joke pre-match that the weather had made United feel more at home. Open training in those conditions was kept very light, with only a small group actually doing ball work in front of a crowd of a few hundred. Amorim tried to entertain them by booting a couple of balls high into the air and into the stands. The whole squad came out to sign autographs before going back indoors for recovery work. Advertisement Lee attended the session and an event hosted by Adidas in their Mongkok outlet on Friday a couple of hours prior to kick-off, where United sent Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu and Obi. 'In both events I felt the players were a lot more generous in giving autographs and photos than expected,' he said. Training in Kuala Lumpur gave a much better glimpse into Amorim's methods, the main drill being a full outfield 10 passing around mannequins to score past either Andre Onana or Heaton, who is expected to sign a new one-year contract. Amorim stood in the middle encouraging his players to recycle the ball round the back and centrally, with the wing-backs advancing to cross. It required several staff members to get the yellow inflatable mannequins onto the pitch because they were so heavy with water in their bases to weigh them down. Adelio Candido, Amorim's assistant, managed to carry one in each hand. Typically, United use metal mannequins which spike into the grass and are lighter, but the organisers had selected more expensive equipment in an attempt to please. When some flopped over due to not containing enough water, jokes on the sidelines inevitably compared them to some of United's efforts this season. Onana, Harry Maguire and Diogo Dalot left Malaysia at half-time, flying to India via private jet to carry out a packed day with sponsors on Thursday rather than travelling to Hong Kong. They were excused from United duty a day earlier than the rest of their teammates. In Hong Kong, Amorim could not suppress a chuckle at a pre-game question directed to Amad on whether Garnacho's duties for United were coming to an end. Garnacho was United's brightest player in the first half, raising the atmosphere with his dribbling and crossing. Amorim was more forthright over Fernandes, insisting he feels his best player will stay amid serious interest from Al Hilal. Fernandes left the ground in the manner he had conducted himself this whole trip, with dignity and courtesy, signing autographs and posing for pictures. 'It would be so much fun to come here with titles,' Amorim said. 'The people are really lovely and respectful. We are grateful for everybody. We want to return with better results, with more people watching the game.' Advertisement As for his message now to his players? 'I was a player, you can disconnect,' he said. 'They know we underperformed badly this season. The important thing is that we have to be ready. We have to use every minute in every week of pre-season. We need to arrive in shape. We had meetings about that. That is the only way to take action. 'Everybody knows next season will be massive for everybody. I have been sending messages every week. They know next year, it is clear, we need to be so much better.' The translator communicated Amorim's words into Cantonese and then, in English, said: 'Thank you for coming to Hong Kong.' Amorim, who has taken on so much more media responsibilities than when in charge of Sporting CP, addressed the four English journalists who had travelled to cover this tour. 'Two months without you guys; I will miss you every day,' he said with a large dollop of sarcasm. 'See you in two months.'
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Manchester United v ASEAN All Stars LIVE: Friendly team news and latest updates from Malaysia
Manchester United play the ASEAN All Stars in a post-season friendly in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Despite a terrible season for Ruben Amorim's side, who finished 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, more than 87,000 will take in the spectacle at the Bukit Jalil Stadium. With no European football next term, Amorim will have a clearer schedule and big decisions will need to be made this summer on signings and departures. Matheus Cunha appears close to joining from Wolves in a £62.5m move after his release clause was met, with United already confirming Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans will head for the Old Trafford exit when their contracts expire. Matheus Cunha set for Manchester United medical after £62.5m release clause met Matheus Cunha will have a medical with Manchester United after they triggered his £62.5m release clause at Wolves. The Brazilian is set to become the third and biggest buy of Ruben Amorim 's time at Old Trafford as the Portuguese has targeted him to bring firepower to a goal-shy United team. Wolves agreed a payment structure with United, which is believed to involve paying the transfer fee over two years, and have given Cunha permission to have a medical at Old Trafford. Cunha signed a new contract at Molineux in February but it contained a release clause and there was the expectation he would leave in the summer. Cunha set for Man United medical after £62.5m release clause met Cunha is set to become the third and biggest buy of Ruben Amorim's time at Old Trafford Jack Rathborn28 May 2025 11:39 Manchester United train before ASEAN All Stars friendly 28 May 2025 11:39 Manchester United v ASEAN All Stars team news and predicted XI Lisandro Martinez remains injured and Alejandro Garnacho, while on the tour, could be omitted with his future seemingly elsewhere after missing out on a start in the Europa League final. Jonny Evans is included and will play in a farewell appearance on the tour. Andre Onana and Luke Shaw are in the squad too, after resting against Aston Villa. Leny Yoro is out with a physical issue. Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof will leave the club on free transfers and are not involved. While Noussair Mazraoui is out with an injury after coming off against Villa. Jack Rathborn28 May 2025 11:35 Is Manchester United v ASEAN All Stars on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Malaysia friendly Manchester United take on the ASEAN All Stars at the Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with kick-off set for 20:45 local time (13:45 BST). Fans can watch the match live on MUTV, coverage begins at 13:00 BST. Jack Rathborn28 May 2025 11:35
Irish Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
David De Gea reacts as Manchester United decision confirmed
Victor Lindelof, the Swedish centre-back for Manchester United, has reached out to fans as the news of his departure from Old Trafford was officially confirmed over the weekend. Lindelof, who joined United from Benfica in 2017 during Jose Mourinho's tenure to strengthen the defence, has been a fixture at the club with 284 appearances under various managers. Although his prominence in United's starting lineup has waned this season, with only 16 Premier League appearances, he was honoured with playing the full 90 minutes on Sunday, helping United clinch a win against Aston Villa to conclude a challenging season. Following the match, United's social media channels issued a heartfelt goodbye to Lindelof, and he soon expressed his gratitude towards the Manchester club on his own account. "There's nothing on earth like being a Red," he expressed. "Manchester, thank you from the bottom of my heart.", reports the Manchester Evening News. Quick to react to Lindelof's parting words was his former teammate David de Gea, who conveyed his emotional response with a love heart emoji. As tributes continued to flood in, Christian Eriksen, Harry Maguire, and Lisandro Martinez, who are themselves preparing to depart at season's end, offered their support to Lindelof. Maja, Lindelof's wife, took to Instagram to document her husband's final match day, sharing touching sentiments. In her post, she reflected on their time with the club. "We grew up here," she noted. "Thank you for all the love. The best years of my life." Following a heartfelt post where she shared a photo of the parting gift United provided for her children, she continued: "The people behind the scenes at this club, not sure what we would do without them all these years."
