Manchester United Sporting Director Dan Ashworth leaves the club after just five months
According to multiple reports, Sporting Director Dan Ashworth has left Manchester United after just five months at the helm. Ashworth was in charge of football performance, recruitment, and operations at the club.
Manchester United Sporting Director Dan Ashworth has left the position at the club after just five months of being appointed. According to multiple reports, the decision was finalized following the Red Devils' 2-3 defeat against Nottingham Forest last night.
🚨 BREAKING: Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth has LEFT the club after just 5 months. 🤯
It is said that his move from Newcastle has not worked, with his departure agreed in a meeting at Old Trafford last night 😬
Dan Ashworth joined Manchester United only in July 2024 to oversee the operations of football performance and recruitment at Old Trafford. Ashworth did a sensational job at his previous club Newcastle United to help them rebuild which caught the attention of the new Manchester United owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The 53-year-old executive pulled off some huge deals for the Red Devils as he played a crucial role in signing Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte and Leny Yoro in the 2024 summer transfer window. Ashworth was also on the committee that sacked former boss Erik Ten Hag.
However, Simone Stone, the journalist for BBC Sport who was at Old Trafford yesterday to cover the match, reported that Ashworth kept his head down and didn’t make eye contact with the journalists present in the mixed zone after the game. Stone hinted that there could be a lot of work in front of the United officials. There was nothing to confirm the shock decision but now it seems that Ashworth was sure about the decision of him getting dismissed.
According to a report by renowned journalist David Ornstein of TheAthletic, Ashworth reached a mutual agreement to depart from Old Trafford after the Forest game. following discussions with Omar Berrada, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Manchester United.
It has also been reported that United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe instigated the decision, who once praised Ashworth as one of the top sporting directors in the world. Now the officials in the club believe that Ashworth's transition at the club "has not been smooth" as the news is now officially confirmed. Manchester United have just confirmed the decision minutes ago which reads:
Dan Ashworth will be leaving his role as Sporting Director of Manchester United by mutual agreement.
We would like to thank Dan for his work and support during a transitional period for the club and wish him well for the future.
There has been no official confirmation on who will be appointed as the predecessor of Ashworth but the United official will need to speed up the process as the winter transfer window in January will approach in just 22 days.
Premier League teams to qualify for Champions League every season since 2016
Here are the Premier League teams to qualify for UEFA Champions League every season since 2016. A record six Premier League teams have already qualified for Champions League 2025-26.
The English Premier League, or the Premier League, has been the best football league in Europe for a long now. As per UEFA Club Coefficients, the Premier League is the best football league on the continent, with the best standard of football and competitiveness.
The competitiveness not only makes it tough for teams to finish at the summit of the points table, but the battle for the UEFA Champions League spot also intensifies. This season, Liverpool FC, Arsenal FC, Manchester City, Chelsea FC, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have already qualified for the UEFA Champions League from the Premier League.
This is the first time six teams from any league have qualified for the Champions League. Not only that, there is also a chance that another team can qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season, depending on Chelsea's performance in the Conference League final this season.
How do teams qualify for the Champions League from a league?
Till the 2022-23 season, every top-four team from the European Leagues used to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Along with the top four teams, the Europa League winners also qualified for the Champions League next season.
But, from the 2024 season, along with the top four teams and Europa League/Conference League winners, leagues started getting an additional European Performance Spot. EPS is awarded to the league with strong UEFA coefficient performances, which the Premier League earned this season as well.
Premier League teams to qualify for the Champions League every season since 2016
2015-16
In the 2025-16 Champions League season, Chelsea qualified as the champions of the Premier League 2014-15. Manchester City and Arsenal qualified as the second and third finishers of the league.
Meanwhile, Manchester United qualified for the Champions League play-off round as the UEFA Europa League 2014-15 winners.
Leicester City surprised everyone to win the 2015-16 Premier League after a historic season. They entered the Champions League as the champions of England. Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester City qualified as the second to fourth spot finishers.
Chelsea qualified for the Champions League by winning the 2016-17 Premier League. Spurs, who were very close of a title, finished second to qualify for Europe. Manchester City and Liverpool qualified as the third and fourth place finishers.
Meantime, Manchester United, who were sixth in the league qualified after winning the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League.
Manchester City's domination in the Premier League started with winning the 2017-18 season, as they entered the Champions League 2018-19 as the champions of England. Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool were the other teams to qualify for Champions League.
Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur played an all-England final where Liverpool defeated Spurs by 2-0 to win the title.
After winning the Champions League, Liverpool finished second in the Premier League, just one point behind the champions, Manchester City. Chelsea and Spurs qualified as the third and fourth team from Premier League.
Liverpool finally broke City's Premier League domination as they lifted 2019-20 Premier League title with 18 points lead over Manchester City, who finished second. Manchester United and Chelsea were the other teams to qualify for the Champions League.
Manchester City and Chelsea played an all-English Champions League in 2021, where Chelsea won their second UCL title.
Manchester City again won the Premier League title to qualify for Europe, with Manchester United finishing second in the league. Liverpool and Chelsea were the other tequalified as the third and fourth teams from the Premier League.
Liverpool lost the Champions League final against Real Madrid in the 2021-22 season.
City defended the Premier League title in the 2021-22 season and entered the Champions League 2022-23, which they eventually won, beating Inter Milan in the final.
Liverpool, who lost the Premier League race by just one point, qualified alongside Chelsea and Spurs.
City won their third consecutive Premier League title helped them earn the Champions League spot. Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United qualified for the Champions League 2023-24.
Back-to-back four Premier League titles for City ensured them another go at the Champions League. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa were the other teams from Premier League to qualify for the new format Champions Legaue.
Arsenal were the only team from the Premier League to play semi-final that season.
A record six teams qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League season from the Premier League. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea qualified as the top four teams. The EPS allowed an added spot as Newcastle United qualified as the fifth team.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United 2024-25 UEFA Europa League final: Spurs lift the Europa League 2025 beating United by 1-0; First trophy for Son Heung-Min
Read the Europa League 2025 highlights as Tottenham Hotspur lifted the Europa League 2025 trophy after beating United by 1-0. Son Heung-Min won his first-ever career trophy with Spurs.
Both teams have endured disastrous Premier League campaigns, currently reeling at 16th and 17th respectively, and face the threat of missing out on European football altogether, unless they win this final.
For United coach Ruben Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag mid-season, it’s a last shot to salvage a turbulent spell marked by 18 Premier League losses; a club record. Tottenham, meanwhile, haven’t lifted silverware since 2008, and their 21 league defeats this season mark a new low. Coach Ange Postecoglou, in his second year, sees this as a vital chance to finally deliver on Spurs’ long-unfulfilled potential.
So, sit back and relax as Koushik Biswas brings you the buildup, LIVE updates and text commentary of the Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United Europa League final match.
From the corner, Vicario got a fingertip and could not get the ball away from the danger position.
Amad, from close range, had the chance to hit the back of the net, but missed the chance.
May 21, 2025, 7:18 PM
15' | Chance for United
Great floated ball from Maguire for Dorgu to go for an acrobatic shot from close range.
Romero deflected it for a corner.
May 21, 2025, 7:15 PM
13' | Successive corners for Spurs
Pressure time for United as Spurs have now won two back-to-back corners. No results for the White and Blue brigade, though.
May 21, 2025, 7:14 PM
11' | Block from Maguire
Chance for Johnson to strike after a mistake by United. But, Onana made the first save, and Harry Maguire stood like a wall to block the rebound ball by Sarr.
May 21, 2025, 7:12 PM
9' | Chance for Spurs
Pedro Porro with a long curling ball. Richarlison was there at the far post, waiting for an easy header. But Mazraoui was there to deflect it for a corner.
May 21, 2025, 7:10 PM
8' | Hojlund vs Bissouma
Both have been one of the players to watch out for in the season so far.
Hojlund tried to run on the left, but as we have seen throughout the season, Bissouma blocked his run with fierce speed.
May 21, 2025, 7:06 PM
5' | Corner for United
From that free-kick Maguire tried to head the ball don and won a corner for United.
May 21, 2025, 7:06 PM
4' | Free-kick for United
United win a free-kick and Luke Shaw takes it.
May 21, 2025, 7:05 PM
3' | Corner for Spurs
Johnson tried to chase a long ball. Luke Shaw cleared it out. Although he did not like the decision, it is a Spurs corner.
May 21, 2025, 7:02 PM
Kick-off!
Here we go!
May 21, 2025, 6:52 PM
Someone will be winning tonight!
Man United and Tottenham’s league form heading into the Europa League final… 😲 pic.twitter.com/NKuGKq84tB
Do you know when was the last time Spurs won a trophy?
Tottenham's last trophy was the 2008 Carling Cup, when they beat Chelsea 2-1 in the final at Wembley. It marked the fourth time that Tottenham were crowned League Cup winners.
Head-to-head stats: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United
The historic head-to-head sits very much in United's favour.
Both clubs enjoyed periods of success in the 1950s and 1960s, with United's teams under Sir Matt Busby and Tottenham's 1960/61 double winners widely regarded as some of the finest in English football history.
Games played
204
Man United wins
96
Tottenham wins
57
Draws
51
May 21, 2025, 12:28 PM
How to watch the match?
Football fans from India can watch the match LIVE on Sony Sports Network TV Channels. Moreover, they can stream the match LIVE on Sony LIV app and website with a paid subscription.
May 21, 2025, 12:26 PM
Match Details
Match: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United LIVE, Europa League final
Manchester United is a club like no other. While this has been a lean period in recent years, United’s record of winning silverware stands up among the very best, and now with the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League, the club are back to lifting trophies.
In case you ever needed reminding of exactly how successful Manchester United have been, we have taken the time to run through every single trophy ever won by the Red Devils. So, let's take a look at the Manchester United trophy cabinet.
United won seven league titles prior to Ferguson's arrival, but the Scotsman managed to end a 26-year wait for the title in 1993. Ferguson proceeded to win the league on 13 occasions, with his constant desire for success helping United to dominate English football.
Liverpool, however, are now just one league title behind United after securing their 19th triumph in the 2019/20 campaign.
UEFA Champions League
Titles:3
Years won:1968, 1999, 2008
Manchester United won the European Cup in 1968 when they beat Benfica 4-1 in the final, with Matt Busby in charge.
In 1999, with Ferguson at the helm, United beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in incredible circumstances. With United trailing 1-0, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored in stoppage time to secure glory.
Ferguson oversaw another Champions League triumph in 2008, with United prevailing past Chelsea on penalties.
Only Arsenal, who have lifted the famous trophy on 14 occasions, have won the FA Cup more often than Manchester United.
United's most recent FA Cup success came in 2024, when they Manchester City 2-1 a year after losing to their local rivals in the 2023 final.
League Cup
Titles:6
Years won:1992, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2023
United have won the League Cup five times, which is some way short of Liverpool's record of nine.
Most recently, Casemiro scored in the 2022/23 EFL Cup final to help down Newcastle 2-0 at Wembley, giving Erik ten Hag his first trophy in charge of the club and end a six-year drought without a trophy. Prior to that, the last time United won the competition was under Jose Mourinho in 2017 when they beat Southampton 3-2 in the final.
Given their frequent successes in the league and the FA Cup, United have often participated in the Community Shield.
In fact they have won the traditional curtain-raiser 21 times, which is more than any other team has managed in the history of the event.
UEFA Europa League
Titles:1
Years won:2017
United's most recent trophy came in 2017 when they beat Ajax 2-0 in the Europa League final, with Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scoring.
UEFA Super Cup
Titles:1
Years won:1991
Following their Cup Winners' Cup success, United faced European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade in the European Super Cup final.
Brian McClair scored in a 1-0 win for United.
FIFA Club World Cup
Titles: 1
Years won:2008
The Intercontinental Cup was succeeded by the FIFA Club World Cup, and United won that competition too as they beat LDU Quito of Ecuador 1-0 in the 2008 final, with Wayne Rooney scoring.
Intercontinental Cup
Titles: 1
Years won:1999
The Intercontinental Cup was a tournament contested between the winners of the Champions League and the South American Copa Libertadores.
United won the trophy with a 1-0 win over Palmeiras in 1999, with Roy Keane scoring the only goal of the game.
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
Titles:1
Years won:1991
United won their first European trophy for 23 years as they beat Barcelona 2-1 in Rotterdam.
Mark Hughes scored a brace for United, with Ronald Koeman on target for Barcelona.
Football League Division Two
Titles:2
Years won: 1936, 1975
On two occasions United won the second division title as they earned promotion to the top tier. They have remained in the top division since 1975.
Women's FA Cup
Titles: 1
Years won: 2024
Manchester United claimed their first major honour in women's football by winning the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Marc Skinner's side beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in the final.
Women's Championship
Titles: 1
Years won: 2019
United entered the FA Women’s Championship with one aim: immediate promotion to the Women’s Super League. The determination was obvious from day one, with a sensational 12-0 win away to Aston Villa first up, including five goals for Jess Sigsworth.
Stoney’s team were absolutely flying from there, winning eight and drawing one of the first nine games, with 42 goals scored and just one conceded.
Manchester United vs Athletic Club Bilbao LIVE, Europa League semi-final scores, news and text commentary
Stay updated with the real-time updates, scores, news and text commentary of Manchester United vs Athletic Club Bilbao UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg match.
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of Manchester United vs Athletic Club Bilbao in the Europa League 2024-25 semi-final second leg at the Old Trafford stadium in London.
United are leading by 3-0 after the first leg, and they would be favourites to enter the final. However, Athletic Club Bilbao have everything in their armoury to surprise United at their home.
Knowing United's home record this season, along with their inconsistent performances, we can expect a great fight from Bilbao. So, sit back and relax as Koushik Biswas brings you the buildup, LIVE updates and text commentary of the Manchester United vs Athletic Club Bilbao Europa League semi-final second leg match.
Head-to-head stats: Manchester United vs Athletic Club Bilbao
In the five matches across the competitions between these two teams, Athletic Club Bilbao have won 3 games while United won twice.
Team
Wins
Goals Scored
Athletic Bilbao
3
12
Manchester United
2
10
May 8, 2025, 11:14 AM
Tonight's Venue | Old Trafford
May 8, 2025, 11:11 AM
How to watch the match?
Football fans from India can watch the match LIVE on Sony Sports Network TV Channels. Moreover, they can stream the match LIVE on Sony LIV app and website with a paid subscription.
May 8, 2025, 11:10 AM
Match Details
Match: Manchester United vs Athletic Club Bilbao LIVE, Europa League semi-final, second leg
Most English Top Flight Titles: Liverpool equal with United
With their 20th top-flight title, Liverpool FC have now equalled Manchester United for the record of most English top flight titles. Here are the other teams on the list.
With their 20th top-flight title, Liverpool FC have now equalled Manchester United for the record of most English top flight titles. Through the eras of English football, Manchester United and Liverpool FC have made themselves one of the most successful clubs in the league's history.
Founded in 1888, the English Football League started as the Football League, the oldest football league in the world. In 1892, the Football League First Division kicked off and continued till 1991 as the top flight football league in England.
Later, in 1992, the Premier League was created and replaced the Football League First Division as the top flight football league in England.
In this article, we will discuss all the teams with the most titles in England's top flight football. Till now, 24 clubs have been able to lift the top flight title.
10. Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City | 1 title
Leicester City won the Premier League title in 2015-16 season.
Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City have been crowned the champions of English football once. Sheffield United won the league in 1897–98, the tenth season of the Football League First Division. Since then, they have roamed between the first division and second division leagues.
West Bromwich Albion won the league in 1919–20, right after the First World War. Ipswich Town won the competition in 1961–62, while Nottingham Forest won in 1977–78.
Leicester City are the only team to win the league in the Premier League when they lifted the Premier League in a miraculous 2015–16 season.
9. Preston North End, Burnley, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur, Derby County | 2 titles
Preston North End, the first ever champion of the Football League, won the title in back-to-back seasons. This made them the first ever team to win a football league and also defend it. They won the league in the 1888–89 and 1889–90 seasons. Preston now plays in the EFL Championship.
Burnley, who recently got promoted to the Premier League this season, won the league twice in the 1920–21 and 1959–60 seasons. Portsmouth won the title first time in the 1948-49 season and then defended the crown in the next season as well.
Spurs, one of the big six of English football, won the league in the 1950–51, 1960–61 seasons. Since then, they have not been able to win the league again. Derby County won the title in the 1971–72 and 1974–75 seasons.
Blackburn Rovers, one of the founding members of the Football League, won the league twice in the 1911–12 and 1913–14 seasons. Then, they were crowned the Premier League champions in 1994–95, when Alan Shearer brought them to glory with 34 goals. But in the next season, they were relegated to the second division.
Huddersfield Town were one of the stronger teams in English football, winning the First Division in three back-to-back seasons in 1923–24, 1924–25 and 1925–26. But, after many promotions and relegations, they now play in the third division in England.
Wolves, who are now competing in the Premier League, won the first-division title in the 1953–54, 1957–58, and 1958–59 seasons.
Leeds United, who also won promotion to the Premier League, won the first division in 1968–69, 1973–74, and 1991–92 seasons. They were the last champions of the Football League First Division before the Premier League took over.
7. Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United | 4 titles
Sheffield Wednesday, the second-oldest professional association football club in England, have won the league four times and are one of the most successful clubs in English football. They won the league in the 1902–03, 1903–04, 1928–29, and 1929–30 seasons.
Newcastle United, one of the biggest names in English football, have spent 93 years in the top tier of English football. They and Sheffield Wednesday won the league in back-to-back seasons. Newcastle won in 1904–05, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1926–27.
6. Sunderland, Chelsea FC | 6 titles
Chelsea FC won their 6th top flight title in 2016-17 season.
Newcastle United's arch-rival, Sunderland, are one of the most underrated teams in tournament history. They were also the first winners of the Football League First Division in the 1892 season. Nicknamed Black Cats, they won the First Division titles in 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1901–02, 1912–13, 1935–36.
Chelsea, one of the most prominent names in European football. Before the Premier League era started, Chelsea had only won the First Division league once in the 1954–55 season. But, after Roman Abramovich's takeover, Chelsea evolved as one of the strongest teams in the Premeier League.
In the Premier League era, they won the title in 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, and 2016–17.
Although they have not won the league title in the Premier League era, Aston Villa are still one of the most successful clubs in England's top-tier football. In fact, it was William McGregor, the Aston Villa director, who founded the Football League in 1888, which was the World's First Football League as mentioned earlier.
Not only that, George Ramsay, who was Villa manager in 1886, was the world's first professional football manager.
With 7 titles in 1893–94, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1909–10, and 1980–81, they still remain one of the oldest clubs to remain in the top-flight football.
4. Everton | 9 titles
Everton team with 1986-87 English First Division League.
Another club with great history and culture that lost the battle in modern football. Although Everton have stayed in the First Division of Football for more than 122 years now, is one of the three clubs to be a founding member of the Football League and Premier League.
Everton won the First Division titles in 1890–91, 1914–15, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1938–39, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1984–85, and 1986–87 seasons. This makes them the club with the fourth most English Top Flight titles.
3. Manchester City | 10 titles
Manchester City with their Premier League title in 2023-24 season.
Since then, they have won 6 Premier League titles, out of which four came in consecutive seasons from 2020 to 2024, which is a record in English top flight football. Before Pep Guardiola, it was Roberto Mancini, who led them to Premier League success in the 2011-12 season, the club's first league title in 45 years.
Till now, Manchester City have won 10 titles in top-flight English football. Their success came in 1936–37, 1967–68, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24.
Arsenal squad with their 2003-04 Premier League title.
One of the most loved and historical clubs in England, Arsenal, comes in the list as the third club with the most English top-flight titles. They were the second most successful club in the top flight before Manchester United went past them in the Premier League era.
From 1931 to 1938, they won the First Division League five times in 8 seasons, which made them one of the most loved and feared clubs in England. In the Premier League era, they won the league three times in 1997–98, 2001–02, and 2003–04.
Arsenal were crowned the champions of England in 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1970–71, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04.
Liverpool FC after wining the 2024-25 Premier League title.
After Liverpool FC's success in the Premier League 2024-25, they have now equalled Manchester United's record for most English Top Flight titles with 20 titles.
Both Liverpool and Manchester United are among the most popular football teams in World football. Liverpool were ahead of Manchester United in terms of top-flight titles, but Manchester United's resurgence under Sir Alex Ferguson left them behind.
Manchester United with their Premier League title in 2012-13 season.
In the Premier League era, Manchester United won the most titles. Their 13 Premier League titles are yet to be matched by any club, although they won the league title last time in the 2012-13 season.
Meantime, in the Premier League era, Liverpool have only won the league title twice, in the 2019-20 and 2024-25 seasons.
Manchester United have won the league in 1907–08, 1910–11, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13.
Meantime, Liverpool FC won the league in 1900–01, 1905–06, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1946–47, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83,1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 2019–20, 2024–25.
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