Manchester United Bans The Athletic from Post-Match Interviews Following Criticism

Manchester United’s press officer prohibited The Athletic from asking post-match questions on Sunday after the publication’s prior coverage was labeled as “overly negative.”

This marks a rare action by the club in response to media reporting, indicating an effort to mitigate unfavorable scrutiny.

The team has faced considerable backlash after being eliminated from European competition earlier this month, following revelations from CentreDevils regarding the precarious position of their manager.

The Athletic Banned from Post-Match Interview

Manchester United’s women’s team played to a 0-0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, jeopardizing their Champions League qualification ambitions.

The Athletic was not allowed to question head coach Marc Skinner by the club’s press officer due to an article deemed too negative, as noted by journalist Megan Feringa on X.

The club expressed discontent with the article, which questioned the team’s direction after their exit from the Champions League. The contentious story was perceived as an “overly negative narrative.”

CentreDevils previously reported in March that Marc Skinner’s role as head coach was under threat, with growing concerns from players and officials regarding his management.

Skinner faces significant pressure, and when questioned about his future post-match, he stated, “Look, I’ve said this two or three seasons ago when we finished fifth and we won the FA Cup. We came back stronger the next year, and we qualified for the Champions League.

“This year, we’ve come into the Champions League and gone to the quarter-finals, got to our first League Cup final. I’m absolutely so passionate about what we do. But we have to do some changes in the summer.

“We have to make some changes to ensure we can compete in what’s clearly a financial market at times, right? And we want to do it our own way. We’ve said that and we’re clear on that. But we have to make sure we write those smart assignments to keep pushing this team forward.”

Despite The Athletic’s absence, Skinner still faced inquiries regarding his future, a sign of the rare nature of Manchester United’s decision to restrict a publication’s access to a manager.

A Rare Decision by United

Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson was known for barring certain journalists and publications from press conferences, but such actions have diminished since his tenure.

A recent incident where the club took action against the media occurred when several journalists were banned after reports surfaced that some players were dissatisfied with Erik Ten Hag in 2023.

“We are taking action against a number of news organizations,” the club stated at that time.

“Not for publishing stories we don’t like, but for doing so without contacting us first to give us the opportunity to comment, challenge, or contextualize.

“We believe this is an important principle to defend, and we hope it can lead to a re-set in the way we work together.”

Manchester United’s decision to ban The Athletic from media coverage is a significant move, showcasing their intent to restrict negative media portrayal.

The women’s team currently sits third in the Women’s Super League table, facing a crucial end to the season to rectify their recent form.