Manchester United’s Poor Season Could Damage Premier League Brand According to Scudamore

The Chief Executive of the Premier League Richard Scudamore has said that their brand and global appeal could be damaged by Manchester United’s poor season.

United have struggled this season following the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and hiring of David Moyes, and the Red Devils currently sit in seventh place in the table, 18 points behind leaders Chelsea.

Speaking at a tour in South Africa, Scudamore said the global popularity of the English top flight could face a slump if Moyes’ men continued to struggle with their transition period.

He told Bloomberg: “When your most popular club isn’t doing as well, that costs you interest and audience in some places.

“There’s lots of fans around the world who wish Manchester United were winning it again, but you have to balance that off against, generally, we’re in the business of putting on a competition and competition means people can compete.”

Manchester United have little hope of qualifying for the Champions League next season unless they can win this year’s competition. Their international reputation could be damaged further if they were not to compete with Europe’s best clubs.

United have managed to build one of the biggest global fanbases in world football, alongside the likes of other Premier League clubs Liverpool and Arsenal.