MU cancels Christmas party: £250,000 saved, but club staff angry

Premier League giants Manchester United have decided to cancel their annual Christmas party in the 2024 edition. This has reportedly upset the club's staff.
Since taking over the club's operations, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS has taken a number of budget-cutting policies to save on the club's expenses.
Some time ago, Ratcliffe had laid off around 250 MU employees. This step was taken by MU after Ratcliffe felt that many departments were bloated.
In addition, MU also reduced the cost of their employees' daily lunch. In fact, MU also removed the position of the legend, Sir Alex Ferguson as their ambassador.

MU Cancels Christmas Party
Now, MU through INEOS has also decided to cancel the Christmas party. According to The Athletic, the decision to cancel was announced directly by CEO Omar Berrada in a staff meeting.
The atmosphere at the meeting became tense when an employee spontaneously expressed his disappointment with a long sigh. This reflected the widespread disappointment among the club's employees.
The club staff were heard reacting spontaneously by shouting, "Oh..." at quite a length to show their disappointment at the decision to cancel.

Bruno Fernandes' Good Intentions
The decision was made despite Bruno Fernandes, the midfielder and team captain, having offered to personally fund the event. However, the offer was rejected by management.
Bruno Fernandes, who was reportedly 'shocked' by the decision, offered to cover the additional costs so that the staff could still celebrate the event. Unfortunately, the captain's initiative was again rejected by the management.
According to reports, the cancellation of the event allowed the club to save around 250 thousand pounds or the equivalent of approximately 5 billion Rupiah.

Manchester United's reasons
Manchester United insists the decision was not based on financial reasons. The club stated that the cancellation was made in solidarity with the recent layoffs. Management considered it inappropriate to hold a celebration in the circumstances.
The move has sparked debate within the club, with many feeling that the Christmas party is a way to boost morale and bring together staff, especially after a challenging year. However, the club remains firm in its decision.
For many employees, the decision comes as a blow ahead of the end-of-year holidays. It is not yet clear whether the club will replace the Christmas party with another form of appreciation for staff.
This situation reflects the growing pressure within the club, both on the pitch and organisationally, amid high expectations from fans and stakeholders.