Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo Sale Averted Heavy Loss for Manchester United

Only Cristiano Ronaldo’s world-record transfer prevented Manchester United making an annual loss of more than 30 million pounds, figures released by the English Premier League champion showed on Monday.

United declared a pretax profit of 48.2 million pounds ($77.7 million) for the year up to June 30, 2009.

But without the departure of Ronaldo, sold to Real Madrid for 80 million pounds, the Old Trafford club would have reported a loss of 31.8 million pounds. The club’s figures also showed it paid 41.9 million pounds in interest on a loan of 509.5 million pounds. Turnover was up to 278.5 million pounds from 256.2 million a year ago.

United’s figures were released at the same time as the club announced plans to refinance its debts by raising 500 million pounds through a bond issue.

“Manchester United today announced that it will be seeking to raise approximately 500 million pounds aggregate principal amount from an offering of senior secured notes due 2017,” a United statement said on Monday.

“The notes, whose proceeds will be used to refinance existing debt secured against the club, will be issued by MU Finance.”

The incentive for investors is that they will in turn receive an attractive rate of interest over seven years in addition to getting their initial investment back from United.

That United, whose Old Trafford ground is often filled close to its capacity of more than 76,000, should find itself in this position will be a source of wonder to fans of less well-supported clubs.

But many Manchester United supporters’ groups were concerned by the huge amount of debt the club was saddled with as a result of the 790 million pound takeover by its current owners, the US-based Glazer family, in 2005.

This latest announcement did little to win over Manchester United Supporters’ Trust chairman Duncan Drasdo, who said: “Most supporters have had enough … the latest trading statement would have shown a substantial loss were it not for the sale of Ronaldo.

“The day the Glazers put the club up for sale, you can expect celebration on the streets of Manchester.”

Last week, United manager Alex Ferguson moved to quell fans’ fears the club’s debts were preventing him from signing new players, with the Scot insisting the decision not to spend three-quarters of the money received for Ronaldo was his alone. “I don’t have any concerns about the financial situation,” he said. “There is absolutely no issue at all. I am really confident about that.

“Concerns of the supporters are down to the fact that I haven’t moved in the transfer market.

“But that is nothing to do with the Glazers or with David Gill [United’s chief executive]. It is simply because I am not going to pay 50 million pounds for a striker who is not worth it.” AFP

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