MANCHESTER UNITED were slammed for failing to apologise in a brusque statement explaining their European Super League exit.
Despite co-chairman Joel Glazer being one of the architects of the doomed plot, the Premier League club pulled out on Tuesday night alongside the five other English teams who had signed up.
A day of fan protests, condemnation and player disapproval led to the closed-shop ESL project collapsing 48 hours after it was announced.
At 11pm, United put out a 52-word statement explaining their position.
It read: “Manchester United will not be participating in the European Super League.
“We have listened carefully to the reaction from our fans, the UK Government and other key stakeholders.
“We remain committed to working with others across the football community to come up with sustainable solutions to the long-term challenges facing the game.”
While many Red Devils supporters praised their club for the withdrawal, there was significant anger at the lack of an apology.
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Both Liverpool and Arsenal apologised to their fans for their role in the debale while Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy stated: “We regret the anxiety and upset caused by the ESL proposal.
Manchester City and Chelsea put out equally short statements after the Blues’ draw with Brighton on Tuesday was disrupted by a large gathering of fans outside Stamford Bridge.
And a similar display against the Glazer family in charge of United is mooted for the weekend.
Before the withdrawal confirmation, club chief Ed Woodward’s exit at the end of the year was announced.
Former defender Gary Neville called on United to seize the moment and kick out the Glazer family as the ESL fallout continues.
He told Sky Sports: “Ed Woodward is the trunk of the tree, we now need to go for the roots.
“I said last night I felt complicit – they’ve now declared their hand.
“While they were peacefully sat at the club not making a statement, never showing their hand, never doing media conferences… yes they were taking money out the club but there was nothing we could do once the club became a PLC.
“But they’ve attacked every single football fan in this country with what they did. The Glazers have no place in Manchester anymore.
“We have to work hard together to ensure that ownership rules in this country are changed, that we have a system whereby this cannot happen.”
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