Ed Woodward tells Manchester United Fans' Forum club 'badly misjudged' elements of European Super League

Manchester United fans during a protest against the club owners outside Old Trafford. PA

Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners outside Old Trafford stadium. Reuters

Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners outside Old Trafford stadium. AFP

Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners outside Old Trafford stadium. AFP

Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners outside Old Trafford stadium. AFP

Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners outside Old Trafford stadium. AFP

Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners outside Old Trafford stadium. AFP

Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners outside Old Trafford stadium. AFP

A supporter holding a placard reading "JP Morgan Destroying Football" attends a protest against Manchester United's owners. AFP

Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners outside Old Trafford stadium. AFP

A Manchester United fan during a protest against the club owners outside Old Trafford. PA

Manchester United fans during a protest against the club owners outside Old Trafford. PA

Manchester United fans during a protest against the club owners outside Old Trafford. PA

Manchester United fans during a protest against the club owners outside of Old Trafford. PA

Manchester United fans during a protest against the club owners outside of Old Trafford. PA

Manchester United fans during a protest against the club owners outside Old Trafford. PA

Manchester United fans during a protest against the club owners outside Old Trafford. PA

Manchester United fans during a protest against the club owners outside Old Trafford. PA

Manchester United fans during a protest against the club owners outside Old Trafford. PA

Manchester United fans protest outside Old Trafford against the owners after the failed launch of a European Super League. Reuters

Senior Manchester United club leaders, including executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, met with a Fans’ Forum Friday morning to discuss concerns related to the abandoned proposals for a European Super League.

United were one of 12 founder clubs to sign up for the breakaway league before almost all unceremoniously backed down 48 hours later following widespread criticism.

Representatives set out a list of demands to the club's hierarchy before the meeting, saying they had Letter says "zero trust" in them following the European Super League fiasco.

Woodward reiterated United co-chairman Joel Glazer's apology for the mistakes made and said the club's owners "remain committed to engagement with the Fans' Forum to ensure that fan interests are understood and respected in future".
"It's clear we did not do enough of that before the Super League decision. Today is our first step towards putting that right," Woodward said.
"You will all have read Joel's open letter to fans last week apologising for the Super League decision and I would like to add my personal apology to this Forum.

"I know that you will feel angry and let down by the lack of consultation and by the way the proposal failed to recognise the vital principle of open competition. Proper discussion would have helped us avoid the mistake we made.

"While there would have been a substantial increase in solidarity payments from the leading clubs to the rest of the pyramid across Europe, we fully accept that there were fundamental elements which were badly misjudged.

"As Joel said last week, we failed to give enough weight to the essential principles and traditions of sporting merit which are so vital to football not just in domestic competition but in European competition since the mid-1950s.

"We want to restate our commitment to those traditions. I can assure you that we have learned our lesson from the events of the past week and we do not seek any revival of the Super League plans."

The Fans' Forum had heavily criticised United's role in "an abhorrent plan designed purely to make more money" for the 12 clubs, which also included fellow English teams Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as Spanish clubs Barcelona, Atletico and Real Madrid, and Italy's Juventus, AC and Inter Milan of Italy.

Woodward said United's financial approach during the pandemic meant they are in a "relatively stronger position" than many clubs and that "we will now continue working with the rest of the football community to address the long-term challenges facing the game".

He concluded: "As Joel said last week, our fans are what makes Manchester United so great, and they should always be at the heart of this club.”