Manchester United’s financial report showed just how much the club has been affected by the on-pitch struggles.
It has been exactly one year since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took full control of day-to-day operations at Manchester United, and it hasn’t exactly been a successful 12 months under the British billionaire.
After a change of management – and most of the boardroom – the Red Devils are slumped in 15th in the Premier League table with Ruben Amorim discussing relegation more than potential Champions League qualification.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 14 |  EvertonEverton | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 31 | -4 | 30 |
| 15 |  Man UtdManchester United | 25 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 28 | 35 | -7 | 29 |
| 16 |  West HamWest Ham | 25 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 29 | 47 | -18 | 27 |
The only realistic path back to the Champions League is through winning the Europa League – an objective that has now become United’s top priority this season.
United went unbeaten in the Europa League’s new league phase and will discover their round of 16 opponents during the draw on Friday afternoon.
Man United suffer £44m Champions League blow
After an eighth-placed league finish, United only clutched a spot in Europe last season by beating Manchester City to lift the FA Cup.
It salvaged what was otherwise a terrible campaign, and this season could end up even worse.
United’s recent Q4 results revealed the financial impact of no Champions League football, with revenue plummeting and debt increasing.
One key finding from the financial report was that United’s broadcast revenue nosedived a staggering £44m from £106m down to £62m.
As pointed out by Sportico, the major decrease in broadcast revenue is due to the lower payouts from playing in the Europa League compared to the Champions League.
Man United risk £900m Adidas deal cuts
United’s financial accounts revealed that sponsorship revenue rose 9.7 percent, but missing out on Champions League football for a second successive season would take its toll.
The £900m Adidas deal struck with United is the biggest kit deal in Premier League history, but the amount received by United is reduced if they are not competing in the Champions League.
Failure to reach the Champions League causes a £10m cut in the Adidas deal. It was revealed in January that Adidas can terminate their United deal if the Red Devils are relegated this season.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe blamed PSR for his cost-cutting at United, but the club’s revenue will continue to drop if European football is out of the equation.
If it wasn’t already clear, winning the Europa League this season is incredibly important.
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