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Man Utd Raise Profit Forecast despite Turbulent Season

Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League. (AFP)
Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League. (AFP)
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Man Utd Raise Profit Forecast despite Turbulent Season

Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League. (AFP)
Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League. (AFP)

Manchester United on Friday raised its estimate for annual core profit to between £180 million ($244 million) and £190 million after a run to the final of the Europa League boosted club coffers.

The adjusted EBITDA figures (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), which exclude items such as profits on player sales and finance costs, are up from an earlier projection of between £145 million and £160 million, said AFP.

Ruben Amorim's side reached the Europa League final, where they lost 1-0 to Tottenham.

But United endured their worst top-flight campaign in more than 50 years, finishing an embarrassing 15th in the table.

Nevertheless, driven by the Europa League run, United's total revenue increased 17.4 percent to £160.5 million in the quarter to March 31 from a year previously.

Matchday revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was £44.5 million, an increase of more than 50 percent, due to more home games.

Total operating costs were down 20.4 percent, sparked by a reduction in the wage bill due to United's involvement in the Europa League instead of the Champions League, plus the January loan exits of Marcus Rashford and Antony.

A redundancy program affecting non-playing staff, which began last year under minority owner Jim Ratcliffe, also helped cut costs.

Chief executive Omar Berrada said in a statement that there was a "clear expectation of improvement" next season.

"We were proud to reach the final of the UEFA Europa League but ultimately we were disappointed to finish as runner-up in Bilbao," he said.

"We had a difficult season in the Premier League, which we all know fell below our standards and we have a clear expectation of improvement next season."

Amorim has started what is expected to be a significant squad rebuild at Old Trafford that will likely involve several high-profile arrivals and the exits of some key players.

United have acted quickly during this month's transfer window. They agreed the £62.5 million signing of Wolves forward Matheus Cunha and are reported to have a firm interest in Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo.

 

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Türkiye’s Sonmez Soaks up the Support in Dream Melbourne Run

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2026 Türkiye’s Zeynep Sonmez celebrates after winning her second round match against Hungary's Anna Bondar. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2026 Türkiye’s Zeynep Sonmez celebrates after winning her second round match against Hungary's Anna Bondar. (Reuters)
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Türkiye’s Sonmez Soaks up the Support in Dream Melbourne Run

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2026 Türkiye’s Zeynep Sonmez celebrates after winning her second round match against Hungary's Anna Bondar. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2026 Türkiye’s Zeynep Sonmez celebrates after winning her second round match against Hungary's Anna Bondar. (Reuters)

Anyone strolling past Melbourne Park's outer courts might have felt like they were wandering through Istanbul on Wednesday as the roars behind Turkish trailblazer Zeynep Sonmez reached deafening levels ​at the Australian Open.

A popular draw among Turkish fans and now a crowd favorite in Melbourne after assisting an ill ball girl during her opener, Sonmez fed off the energy on court seven to beat Hungarian Anna Bondar 6-2 6-4 and progress.

"I felt like I was at home," Sonmez told reporters after matching her best Grand Slam run of reaching the third round at Wimbledon last ‌year.

"I was ‌feeling the energy. It was unreal. I ‌appreciate ⁠it. ​I felt ‌very good on the court. I felt the support, and I felt like we were all playing together, actually.

"In Wimbledon when I was playing third round, it was similar to this, but today ... I felt like I never experienced something like this."

Sonmez is part of a growing group of players from nations without traditional tennis pathways who are lighting ⁠up the sport's biggest stages.

Filipina Alexandra Eala was watched by heaving crowds outside practice ‌courts in the build-up to the Grand ‍Slam while Janice Tjen has won ‍new fans by becoming the first Indonesian to win a ‍match at the Australian Open in 28 years.

"I think it's good ... there are some countries that are very good at tennis. You know, they're like tennis countries. We aren't one of them," Sonmez said.

"It's a good thing, because ​there are more players and more surprises. I saw Alex playing few days ago. The crowd was crazy. I ⁠really enjoy watching those matches."

Like the biggest players from the strongest nations, Sonmez also dreams of someday winning a Grand Slam.

"But I'm not focusing specifically on that dream," she said.

"I'm just focusing on getting better every day. I want to enjoy being on the court, because I know that I feel and I play better when I enjoy being on the court."

Having come through three qualifying rounds before stunning 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and taking out Bondar, the 112th ranked Sonmez will look to keep her run going when she meets Kazakh Yulia ‌Putintseva in the third round.

"Right now I'm tired, because I just finished," she said. "But I'm not tired overall."

Sports

Daniil Medvedev’s New Outlook Fuels Australian Open Comeback

21 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Daniil Medvedev of Russia in action during the Men's 2nd round match against Quentin Halys of France on day 4 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne. (Lukas Coch/AAP/dpa)
21 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Daniil Medvedev of Russia in action during the Men's 2nd round match against Quentin Halys of France on day 4 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne. (Lukas Coch/AAP/dpa)
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Daniil Medvedev’s New Outlook Fuels Australian Open Comeback

21 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Daniil Medvedev of Russia in action during the Men's 2nd round match against Quentin Halys of France on day 4 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne. (Lukas Coch/AAP/dpa)
21 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Daniil Medvedev of Russia in action during the Men's 2nd round match against Quentin Halys of France on day 4 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne. (Lukas Coch/AAP/dpa)

After the season he's coming off, 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev is celebrating his run to the third round at the Australian Open as positive progress.

His results in Grand Slam events in 2025 — losing in the first round at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open after a second-round exit in Australia, after smashing a tiny camera attached to the net while avoiding a monumental upset in the first — were his worst since his debut season in 2017.

He lost his cool in New York and was fined $42,500 by the US Open — more than a third of his $110,000 tournament prize money — for his meltdown during a first-round loss after a photographer wandered onto the court during the match.

He won a single title in 2025 — at Almaty, Kazakhstan in October — from 24 tournaments contested, and only reached one other final. He has 22 career titles.

Nothing much was working for the three-time Australian Open runner-up.

So after he dropped the first set Wednesday against French qualifier Quentin Halys in the second round, he had to mentality set it aside and start all over again.

“Performance could be better I think, but a win is a win,” he said. “Last year on Slams, when people played good against me, I was struggling.

“So I’m happy that I managed to win it, turning it around and ... looking forward for next rounds.”

He reached three finals in four years at the Australian Open but lost them all, including the 2024 championship to Jannik Sinner.

The 29-year-old Russian opened this year with a title in Brisbane, and now he's on a seven-match winning streak in Australia. He has put 2025 behind him. The difference, he said, comes down to mentality.

When he was regularly in the top five and going deep at the majors, he expected to win all the time. Now he's learned to compartmentalize, and can put losing — games, sets or matches — behind him.

“I managed to fight. I was losing with a break in the second — I mean, you saw the match. Why am I telling you?” Medvedev said in his on-court interview Wednesday. “His forehand was on fire. He didn’t miss much. He made some unbelievable ones.

“Very tough match mentally but I'm happy (I could) dig deep and managed to win it.”

He's looking forward to his next match against Fabian Marozsan of Hungary, and won't think any further than that for now.

“I need to rebuild my confidence step by step,” he said. “Always, always keep the faith!”

Sports

Vinicius Responds to Critics with Stellar Display as Real Madrid Thrash Monaco

Real Madrid's Brazilian forward #07 Vinicius Junior (R) celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal with Real Madrid's Spanish coach Alvaro Arbeloa during the UEFA Champions League league phase day 7 football match between Real Madrid CF and AS Monaco at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on January 20, 2026. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Brazilian forward #07 Vinicius Junior (R) celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal with Real Madrid's Spanish coach Alvaro Arbeloa during the UEFA Champions League league phase day 7 football match between Real Madrid CF and AS Monaco at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on January 20, 2026. (AFP)
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Vinicius Responds to Critics with Stellar Display as Real Madrid Thrash Monaco

Real Madrid's Brazilian forward #07 Vinicius Junior (R) celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal with Real Madrid's Spanish coach Alvaro Arbeloa during the UEFA Champions League league phase day 7 football match between Real Madrid CF and AS Monaco at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on January 20, 2026. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Brazilian forward #07 Vinicius Junior (R) celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal with Real Madrid's Spanish coach Alvaro Arbeloa during the UEFA Champions League league phase day 7 football match between Real Madrid CF and AS Monaco at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on January 20, 2026. (AFP)

Vinicius Jr delivered a scintillating performance to inspire Real Madrid to a commanding 6-1 victory over Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday, silencing recent criticism ​from fans.

The Brazilian winger, named UEFA's man of the match, orchestrated the rout with several dazzling dribbles, two assists, and a spectacular goal.

However, the 25-year-old admitted after the match that the booing he has faced from the Bernabeu crowd in recent weeks had taken its toll.

"This performance means a lot, because of everything that has been happening in ‌recent days," ‌Vinicius told TNT Sports.

"The change of ‌coach, ⁠losing ​the (Spanish Super ‌Cup) final, being knocked out of the Copa del Rey – playing for the biggest club in the world comes with high demands. Sometimes we don't understand the boos, but I know the size of the club and the weight of the shirt."

The hostility peaked during Saturday's LaLiga match against Levante, where Vinicius ⁠was jeered throughout, particularly during the announcement of the starting lineup.

Fans were left ‌disillusioned after a turbulent month that ‍included a Spanish Super Cup ‍defeat to Barcelona, an embarrassing 3-2 Copa del Rey exit ‍to second-division Albacete, and the abrupt sacking of manager Xabi Alonso after just seven months in charge.

Media reports of internal tensions, including clashes between Alonso and Vinicius, further darkened the mood at the ​Bernabeu.

But Tuesday's emphatic display, led by Vinicius, appeared to turn the tide.

"The only thing I can do ⁠is on the pitch – to give my all. I won't always be technically perfect, but I will always give 100% for the team," Vinicius said.

"I don't want to be booed at home, where I feel comfortable. But the fans have their rights, and I am here to evolve. I want to stay at Real Madrid for a long time."

Since joining Real Madrid in 2018, Vinicius has been integral to the club's successes, winning the Champions League twice. He scored in both finals – against ‌Liverpool in 2022 and Borussia Dortmund in 2024, the year he also won FIFA's The Best Award.