The owners of Manchester United have “taken the money” out of the club rather than investing in Old Trafford, a former director has told Sky News.
In a wide-ranging interview with Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Greg Dyke also said all United fans will be “pleased to see the back” of the Glazers who are considering selling the Premier League outfit.
The billionaire US family has not spent enough money on the club, according to Mr Dyke, echoing the comments of recently departed star player Cristiano Ronaldo, who had hit out at the lack of investment in the Carrington training ground.
Mr Dyke, a former United director, told Ridge: “There is no doubt the money has not been invested. Old Trafford used to be a ground ahead of its time, it’s no longer like that.
“The training ground is no longer like that, the world catches up and you have to spend capital and they haven’t spent it, they’ve taken the money out.”
Read more: How ‘scavenger’ Glazers bought Man Utd – and left Old Trafford in a ‘mess’
Mr Dyke, a former FA chairman, also said that England and Wales should have carried out their plan for captains to wear rainbow armbands in a protest during the Qatar World Cup.
Seven European football associations abandoned a gesture of solidarity with the LGBT+ community when told their players, including Harry Kane and Gareth Bale, faced an instant yellow card and potentially a ban from matches if they wore OneLove armbands.
A joint statement from the FAs of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Switzerland said: “FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play.”
But Mr Dyke told Ridge that if those FAs “had all felt so strongly about it, they could have said to FIFA (football’s world governing body), we’re doing this and if you don’t like it, we’re all out of here”.
If they “had got together and said look, this is what we are doing, FIFA would have had to have backed down”, he claimed.
Homosexuality in Qatar is illegal and having same-sex relations is punishable by up to seven years in prison.
‘Ridiculous’ to hold World Cup in Qatar
Mr Dyke also said it was a “ridiculous” and “corrupt” decision to hold the tournament in Qatar.
He told Ridge: “We have to accept that most of the people who voted for Qatar, the executive who voted for it, most of them were driven out of football for corruption.
“It was a bad decision, FIFA’s own safety committee recommended strongly against it, which is why, in the end, it had to be moved from the summer to the winter.”
Mr Dyke suggested FIFA must be “hoping for the Qatar World Cup to end to get back to normal”.
The 75-year-old added that he believed England were in the top four countries to win the competition.
Read more:
Southgate leaves himself exposed as England’s dire display reopens old wounds
Qatar out of tournament – first-ever host nation to be eliminated after just two games
Manchester United owners to explore sale as Glazers seek new investment
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Backing manager Gareth Southgate‘s men to be “in with a chance”, he said: “When I was chairman of the FA, I set England the target of winning in Qatar, I do not think that’s impossible although I think the French look pretty dangerous and Brazil look pretty good.
“England had a very good game and a very average second game but that’s alright, everyone has an average game, they didn’t lose.
“I think the manager is very good and they are in with a chance, I think they are one of four teams that could win it.”
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England face Wales next
England currently top Group B, with four points from two games, and next face Wales in their third World Cup game on Tuesday.
Wales have just one point after drawing with the USA and losing 2-0 to Iran.
Southgate and his England players will know that even defeat to the Welsh would likely see them progress to the last 16, by virtue of their significantly better goal difference (England’s +4 to Wales’ -2).
Wales would need to win 4-0 to finish above England.
The USA (on two points) play Iran (three points) in the other group match.
Gregg Berhalter’s side know that a win against the Iranians will secure them a place in the knockout stages.
