Manchester United shares plummeted 7.8%, missing the Champions League means a decrease of nearly 90 million pounds

On May 23, Manchester United lost to Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 and ranked second in the UEFA Cup this season. The consequences of this heavy defeat are not just on the field. The Manchester Evening News analyzed the financial difficulties faced by the Red Devils next.

Manchester United missed the European match next season, and Tottenham, as a Champions League team, can already determine the income of 70 million pounds. This is still a conservative estimate, and there is no calculation of their situation if they enter the knockout stage. What Manchester United will miss include £17 million in game-day income, which is really hard to swallow.

Manchester United is a listed company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and the market is quite sensitive to the club's performance on the court, which is closely related to their commercial success.

The Red Devils lost the UEFA Cup final day after the club's stock price on the New York Stock Exchange plummeted 7.8%. When the stock market opened on Thursday, Manchester United's stock price was trading at $13.40 per share, even lower than $14 per share when the company's IPO (initial public offering) in 2012. By Friday morning, Manchester United shares fell further to $13.29 per share.

In comparison, when Manchester United's owner and club's second largest shareholder, Sir Ratcliff, bought a 27.7% stake in the team in December 2023, he paid $33 per share through his subsidiary Inelis. The deal put the valuation of Manchester United club at $5.4 billion (about £4 billion).

Manchester United's valuation has been tested in many ways, including financial pressure from huge losses, layoffs of about 250 employees in the past 12 months, and poor performance on the court. These factors have caused Manchester United to lose a rich source of European revenue next season, which will not only affect the club's business performance, but may also weaken the club's attractiveness to stars in the transfer market.

Recently, a report released by the American sports business website Sportico shows that Manchester United's valuation in 2025 is US$6.1 billion (about £4.52 billion). Although this valuation has risen compared to Ratcliffe's acquisition, it has dropped by 2% from the 2024 list.

The US $13.4 on Thursday's trading day means the Manchester United club's valuation is US$2.3 billion, but the only Class A shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange are trading with lower voting rights. Before the Ratcliff acquisition case at the end of 2023, investors were still optimistic, with the stock price reaching about $20.38 at the end of December. But since then, the stock price has fallen sharply and there has been little sign of any significant increase.