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Ruben Amorim has confirmed that Manchester United are planning to organize mid-season friendly matches in a bid to raise revenue due to their lack of European football. The Portuguese coach's admission confirmed the rumors of the Red Devils facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr later this term.
Manchester United completely missed out on European football for the first time in 11 years after finishing in 15th position on the Premier League table last season. Their only other hope of securing Europen football was winning the Europa League, but they lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the final.
Having failed to qualify for any European competition, the Red Devils will have several free midweeks. Consequently, reports have claimed that United are exploring the possibility of playing a mid-season friendly in Saudi Arabia.
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Talks with relevant stakeholders are said to be underway, meaning a trip to the Middle East could see United reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the club on bad terms in 2022.
In a press conference ahead of the Premier League match against Sunderland, Ruben Amorim was asked about reports that Manchester United are looking to arrange mid-season friendlies later this term.
"We have to do it," Amorim said. "We knew that when we missed Europe, and there’s a lot of things [to consider]. We have our fans, the budget. We have to compensate [for] a lot of things. We have to do it, so we will do it. We want to be with our fans around the world, so we will put it all together to do that. If we have to do it, we have to manage and to find the space to do it.”
The prospect of Ronaldo facing his former club is one that will be highly anticipated by fans and broadcasters. The 40-year-old played across two different spells at Old Trafford.
"It’s going to be a really tough match" - Ruben Amorim on Manchester United vs. Sunderland
Manchester United will host newly promoted side Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday, October 4. Speaking on the upcoming clash, Amorim stated that his team will not have a field day, insisting the Black Cats play really well. He said:
"It’s going to be a really tough match, they are doing really well. And then, when you see the games, they draw with one less player in the final [moments] of the game, they draw, [get] one point, and then they win in the final play against Brentford, [to get] another three points. I think the details are changing the table a lot, so we need to pay attention to that. It’s a team that plays really well, it’s a clear 4-3-3 system with a lot of rotations in the side of the pitch. They are confident and they know that we are going to be under pressure and we need to be able to play with that and we are prepared for a tough, tough match."
Ahead of the match, Manchester United are 14th, while Sunderland are in sixth position on the Premier League table.
