Manchester United will celebrate any potential Europa League triumph with a private barbecue at their Carrington training ground rather than a traditional open-top bus parade, according to The Times.
Ruben Amorim’s side face Tottenham Hotspur in the all-English Europa League final next Wednesday in Bilbao, with both clubs hoping to rescue their underwhelming domestic campaigns with silverware.
However, United are preparing for a more subdued celebration and have blamed those plans on their tight schedule and other logistical hurdles.
If United beat Tottenham in Spain, the club will mark the occasion the following day with a low-key gathering at Carrington.
The private event would include players, staff and their families. The training base is currently undergoing extensive renovations, but that wouldn’t stop any post-match celebration.
The decision will come as a shock to many, but it’s merely another chapter of the brutal cost-cutting measures Sir Jim Ratcliffe has imposed since purchasing a controlling stake at the club.
While this goes against the usual tradition, United claim they have little room to manoeuvre.
Four days after the showpiece in the Basque Country, United play host to Aston Villa at Old Trafford in their final Premier League game of the season, where the fans plan to send a message to the club owners.
After facing Villa, Amorim and his troops will immediately jet off for a post-season tour in Asia.
They are scheduled to play in Kuala Lumpur on May 28 and in Hong Kong on May 30, leaving little wiggle-room to squeeze in an open bus top parade.
After the Asian tour, players will join their respective countries for international duty.
United are one step away from their first European title in eight years, yet the occasion isn’t significant enough for the club to sanction a parade.
Their last public celebration was in 2013, when over 100,000 fans filled the streets to honour their 20th league title and Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
The 2024/25 Premier League season has been one to forget, with United languishing in 16th and on course for their lowest-ever Premier League finish.
A Europa League win would offer both redemption and a ticket back to the Champions League.
Meanwhile, staff have been told they won’t receive complimentary tickets for the final. Instead, a live screening event will be held in Manchester city centre.
