Avram Glazer sparks Manchester United fan fury with bold claim in rare public speech

Glazer told a September conference that clubs of United's scale don't need on-pitch success for commercial revenue, drawing comparisons to the Yankees and Cowboys.

Co-owner Avram Glazer sparked fan anger with comments made at the Deutsche Bank Sports Investment Conference in London in September, claiming that clubs of Manchester United's stature do not require sporting success to generate substantial commercial revenue.

Glazer drew parallels between United and Major League Baseball's New York Yankees and NFL's Dallas Cowboys, both of which have gone decades without winning their respective championships—the Yankees since 2009 and the Cowboys since 1995—yet remain among the most commercially successful franchises in sport. Manchester United, meanwhile, have not won the Premier League since 2013, despite multiple cup victories.

Fans have interpreted Glazer's remarks as an acceptance of poor results on the pitch provided revenues remain high, intensifying protests against the Glazer family's ownership and INEOS's control of sporting operations. During Tuesday's 3-2 Champions League win over Roma, supporters released green and gold balloons and threw tennis balls onto the pitch in protest.