Manchester United CEO Belada: The worst part is over. Firmly believing that they can win the Premier League before 2028[KUI]
2025-06-17
Manchester United CEO Belada was interviewed by "United We Stand". This was Belada's first interview since he took over the job at Manchester United last July. The magazine's editor, Andy Mitten, streamlined the 70-minute conversation with Belada and summed it up in an article on The Athletic.
When talking about Manchester United's poor performance both on and off the pitch this season and their goals, Belada admitted that he did not expect the team to have such a dismal season in the Premier League, but he insisted that the situation was about to start improving.
When talking about Manchester United's poor performance both on and off the pitch this season and their goals, Belada admitted that he did not expect the team to have such a dismal season in the Premier League, but he insisted that the situation was about to start improving.
Bellada said, "We have endured all the short-term pains this season. Starting this summer, the worst part will be in the past." We will stabilize the management team. We will equip a complete technical support team around the coaching team to stabilize the coaching staff.
At the football level, we already have a clear idea of what we are going to do, which players we want to sign, how we hope the team will play, how we will integrate the youth training players, and how to invest in future talents.
Today I'm sitting here and actually feel very optimistic and quite positive about the future prospects. Sure, we need to make many decisions right. There is no doubt that we are sure to make mistakes. We will do our best to reduce mistakes. But our goal is to build a highly sustainable and long-term system for the club, right?
Since Belada joined Manchester United, one of the most eye-catching goals he has set is the "150 Project", referring to a series of milestone goals that he hopes to achieve when the club celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2028.
These goals include both off-field ones, such as achieving "positive cash flow", and competitive ones. Belada hopes that Manchester United's women's team will win its first women's Premier League title within the next three years, and the men's team will also win the Premier League title.
But is this realistic?
Belada replied, "Of course it's realistic. I've experienced even worse situations." When I joined Barcelona in 2004, they were at a low point. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey and even failed to qualify for the Champions League that season. They could only participate in the UEFA Cup. But two years later, they became the double champions of La Liga and the Champions League. So things can change very quickly. Yes, I fully believe that we can achieve our goals here. The key lies in that we need time, a clear plan and consistent decisions. This requires discipline, the right people and patience.
We are ranked 15th. This seems like an impossible task. But why not aim at it? Why not do your best to strive for it?
I firmly believe that we can do it. We have two to three summer transfer Windows to build a team that can start competing for the Premier League title. If we can achieve the goal earlier, all of us will be very happy. So no one says that we won't start thinking about winning the championship until 2028.