Gary Neville describes Old Trafford snub for Euro 2028 as an ‘all-time low’ for the Glazers tenure
“This is dereliction of duty. It’s SHAME’: Gary Neville blames the Glazers for Old Trafford’s Euro 2028 stupidity, describing it as an ‘all-time low’ for Manchester United as he calls on American owners to sell the club ‘as soon as possible’
- Gary Neville has reconfirmed the Glazer’s want to sell Manchester United
- Reactions come as Old Trafford are turned down as one of 10 hosts for Euro 2028
- Some notable omissions from the list include Man United’s Old Trafford
Gary Neville has described the omission of Old Trafford as the host venue for the United Kingdom and Ireland’s bid for Euro 2028 as ’embarrassing’ and ‘the last straw’ for the Glazers.
It was announced that despite being the largest home stadium in the UK, Manchester United’s iconic home had been rejected, but neighbors City’s Etihad Stadium had made the cut.
Two of the 10 sites chosen for Old Trafford, Everton’s Bramley-Moore Dock and Casement Park in Belfast, have not even been built yet.
And Neville, who made 602 appearances for United and won 85 caps for England, believes the club’s owners have committed a ‘dereliction of duty’ and urged them to sell.
Insiders say City’s ground is considered more modern and, although Old Trafford has a larger capacity, it is believed to be in need of an upgrade. There is uncertainty about when United will make improvements due to their potential acquisition.
Gary Neville has criticized the Glazers for the lack of maintenance at Old Trafford since they bought the club in 2005
The family are accused of leaving Old Trafford in ruins
Old Trafford will not host any matches at Euro 2028 after the largest club ground in England was dropped from the list of venues submitted to UEFA as part of the UK-Ireland bid
Neville told Mail Sport about his anger. “The Glazer family have been warned for years about a lack of investment at Old Trafford,” he said. “They’ve seen a decline over the last 20 years where it’s gone from one of the best stadiums in the world to one that can’t even get into the top 10 in the UK and Ireland.
“This is an all-time low. It’s a joke that it’s not in the top 10 to host a tournament.’
Videos of leaking roofs have gone viral in the past and the Theater of Dreams was in dire need of a facelift. Last year, United brought in architects to explore options including demolishing Old Trafford to redevelop it or building a new stadium elsewhere. But that situation has been put on hold and the Glazers are trying to sell the club or raise financing.
Neville added: “There has been no investment. It’s a rusty stadium. This is dereliction of duty. It’s embarrassing.’
Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe are expected to submit a final bid to buy the club before the April 28 deadline.
But Raine Group, the bank overseeing the sale, also has multiple investment offers for a partial interest. This would give the Glazers money to upgrade or rebuild Old Trafford, but the unpopular American family would retain control.
“There are still suggestions that they won’t sell and instead make a partial investment,” Neville said. “They need to get out as soon as possible so that new owners can come in and get United back to where it belongs – on and off the pitch.”
United said they had ‘mutually agreed to withdraw from the shortlist’ as they were ‘unable to provide the necessary certainty about the availability of Old Trafford due to potential redevelopment of the stadium’.
Map showing the ten stadiums selected as part of the UK and Ireland bid
The other English grounds chosen are Wembley, St James’ Park and Villa Park – the only three venues to host Euro ’96 matches – and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The other venues selected are Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Hampden Park in Glasgow and Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. West Ham’s London Stadium, Sunderland’s Stadium of Light and Croke Park in Dublin were also dropped from the original shortlist. Anfield was never in the running because the field is too small for UEFA requirements.
The Euro 2028 hosts will be selected this fall. The only challengers to the UK and Ireland bid are Turkey, who have failed bids for every euro since 2008 and are expected to miss again. They are also bidding to host Euro 2032, just like Italy.
A statement from the five British and Irish Football Associations read: ‘World-renowned, high-capacity football pitches and state-of-the-art new venues will provide the platform for the biggest and most commercially successful UEFA Euro ever – making us a low-risk player. , host with great reward.’
