As Manchester United prepare to take on Spurs in tonight’s Europa Leage Final, I spoke to former Sunderland and Charlton Athletic director Charlie Methven about the rationale and morality behind fielding 'below strength’ teams.
United boss Ruben Amorim has been criticised by former players, including Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, for protecting the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire in recent matches.
Keane recently described United as a “disgrace” because of their perceived focus on European competition, rather than the Premier League.
Charlie succinctly dismisses their complaints as “utter rubbish”, saying that the intensity and quantity of football has increased significantly since their playing days.
He also points out that the financial rewards of qualifying for the Champions League - the prize on offer for the winners of the Europa League - are substantial.
“It's a £70 million quid thing for United to go into the Champions League next season,” he says.
That calculation includes the £10 million penalty United would face from kit sponsors Adidas for failing to reach the elite tournament.
We also talk about the financial rewards of reaching the EFL play-offs - which aren’t as great as you might think.
Check out more episodes of the ‘Where’s The Money Gone?’ podcast here.
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