Ever since the US billionaire Glazer family acquired Manchester United in a £790m leveraged buyout in 2005, there has been simmering discontent among fans of the Premier League club.
Years of tension have burst open in recent days. A group of fans stormed into the club’s home ground at Old Trafford last weekend amid some violent scenes, forcing the postponement of a fixture against arch-rivals Liverpool. Calls for the Glazers to sell the club are growing among supporters.
The trigger to recent events was Manchester United’s involvement in a botched plan to launch a European Super League. The project was quickly denounced by fans, players and pundits as a threat to the game’s traditions.