Go away, Jose: Mourinho and his team receive £19.6m pay off from Manchester United
Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and his coaching team received a £19.6m payoff after getting sacked from the club, its accounts reveal.
The club’s quarterly accounts list the £19.6m payment under exceptional items describing it as “compensation to the former manager and certain members of the coaching staff for loss of office”.
Mourinho was sacked by the club in December after a poor run of results left United trailing league leaders and arch rivals Liverpool by 19 points.
Read more: Jose Mourinho's fall from grace signifies the end of an era
United’s 26 points after 17 Premier League games was the worst return at that point in a season since 1990-91.
Mourinho has been replaced on an interim basis by Norwegian manager and club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who took the club on a remarkable 11-game unbeaten run which was ended on Tuesday by Paris Saint Germain and their young star Kylian Mbappe.
Despite the turbulence on the pitch, commercially the club was on fine form in the second quarter, recording record revenues of £208.6m and record adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) of £104.3m.
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Operating profit for the quarter was £44m.
Ed Woodward, executive vice chairman, said: "The appointment of Ole and Mike as caretaker manager and assistant manager, working with Kieran, Michael and Emilio, has had a positive impact throughout the club. We are delighted with the improvement in the team’s performances since December and we look forward to a strong finish to the 18/19 season."