Manchester United aims to win the Premier League title in 2028, CEO tells staff

Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada has told staff the aim is to win the Premier League title in 2028, to mark the 150th anniversary of the club’s founding.

Berrada, who officially joined from rivals Manchester City in June, addressed staff at a meeting at Old Trafford last Wednesday and mapped out the shared ambitions of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the football hierarchy.

Berrada briefed the staff on “Project 150” – so named because it coincides with the most important milestone in United’s existence. The club was founded as Newton Heath in 1878, before changing its name to Manchester United in 1902.

That defined goal puts into context the work required for the team, with United currently 11th in the Premier League after two wins, one draw and two defeats. United also drew their opening Europa League match against FC Twente, the lowest-placed side they will face in the competition at Old Trafford.

Berrada also spoke about the women’s team winning their first title that year with equal attention. He tried to strike an ambitious tone and accepted that this would take a lot of hard work, rather than seeming bullish.

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Berrada’s bold statements were met by an audience of staffers in a mixed mood in the wake of the job cuts, which saw the 1,000-person workforce cut by a quarter. People who have been with the club for a number of years have left, causing feelings of dismay and despondency, while others have been energized by the prospect of the club becoming more guided by sporting objectives.

Ratcliffe’s arrival prompted the layoffs as a way to save money, the club says, but his main motivation is for United to win big trophies again. In his first round of media interviews in February, after securing his 27.7 percent investment, he brought up the 150th anniversary.

“It’s not a ten-year plan. The fans would run out of patience if it was a ten-year plan. But it’s definitely a three-year plan to get there,” he said.

“It is not wise to think that next year we will play as good football as Manchester City played against Real Madrid last season. And if we give people false expectations, they will be disappointed. So the most important thing is our journey, so that people can see that we are making progress.

United’s new hierarchy has mapped out their ambitions (Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

“I think 2028 will be the club’s 150th anniversary. If our trajectory leads to a very good place in such a time frame, then we would be very happy with that. Because it’s not easy to make Manchester United the best football team in the world.

“The ultimate goal for Manchester United – and it always will be – is that we have to be a challenge for the Premier League and a challenge for the Champions League. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

Ahead of the match against Liverpool earlier this month, in which United lost 3-0, Berrada and Dan Ashworth, the club’s newly appointed sporting director, addressed the media.

“Erik has our full support and we have worked very closely together during this transfer window,” Berrada said. “We will continue to work closely with him to help him get the best results from the team. Do we still believe in Erik? Absolute. We think Erik is the right coach for us and fully support him.”

Ahead of United’s return to the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Ten Hag said: “We are working and making progress. We need to attract players, but we have chosen to attract very young players.

“Last year (Rasmus) Hojlund, this year (Joshua) Zirkzee, Leny Yoro. We believe in them, now and for the future, and we must build them. We have to work together with the team and that takes time.

“I am also impatient and want to move straight ahead, but we have also had success in the last two seasons and we have to work hard to achieve more success.”

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(Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)