This is a pretty brutal way to treat a former German national team captain who has lifted the World Cup.
On Monday it was revealed that Manchester United had become the first English team to record revenue levels of over $663 million (half a billion pounds sterling) for the 2015-16 financial year.
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Buried in those financial records which were released were some very intriguing nuggets, one of which concerned German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, 32, who is currently training with United’s reserve team.
Schweinsteiger was not listed as an asset to the club in United’s financial reports as the club had, for want of a better phrase, “written him off.”
Since Jose Mourinho arrived this summer, Schweinsteiger has been ruthlessly cast aside and told he can leave the cub. However, Schweinsteiger only signed an incredibly lucrative three-year contract of $19 million per season last summer and he has no intentions of leaving United right now.
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The German legend — he captained them at EURO 2016 this summer and won the World Cup with Joachim Low’s side in 2014 — has already stated that he will head to MLS, China or elsewhere overseas once his time at United is over. Yet the man who rose to prominence with Bayern Munich, winning everything German soccer has to offer plus a UEFA Champions League title, is basically worth nothing to United according to the financial records.
As a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange United cannot mislead investors and therefore they have described a certain unnamed individual in the “exceptional items” section of the financial results with the big clue stating that the fee for this individual was for $8.9 million. That’s exactly how much United paid Bayern Munich for Schweinsteiger last summer.
Per United’s financial results, this is how they described the fee of $8.9 million:
“Related to a registrations’ impairment charge regarding a reduction in the carrying value of a player no longer considered to be a member of the first team playing squad.”
It is pretty obvious to read between the lines and see this is Schweinsteiger they are talking about.
Yes, we know he is still getting paid and handsomely and it is up to Mourinho to decide who he picks to play but Schweinsteiger being treated like this is a little sad to see. He could’ve gone out on loan this summer but maybe there weren’t any viable options. He has a contract and right now it seems like he will train and sit in the stands and be paid by United and it almost seems like he is being punished for being a remnant of the Louis Van Gaal era. The Dutch coach bought Schweinsteiger to United after working with him at Bayern and put his faith in him and despite several injuries last season the German did make 31 appearances in all competitions.
This information is the latest brutal public blow for Schweinsteiger and goes to show just how far his stock has fallen at United.
