Manchester United have been dealt a heavy blow when their home ground, Old Trafford, is not considered good enough to use for Euro 2028.
It hasn't been long since we saw Lionel Messi lift the world championship trophy in Qatar, but Gareth Southgate's thoughts have turned to the Euros after just over a year.
Qualifiers are going well, with England winning their opening two games, away against Italy and at home against Ukraine, two of their toughest matches in theory.
And, thanks in part to Scott McTominay's four goals in two games, Scotland also had a strong chance to qualify.
Not only could the two British nations meet in Germany in 2024, but they could also team up to host the tournament four years later. England and Scotland also have Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by their side as they try to beat Türkiye to host Euro 2028.
Liverpool and Arsenal have missed games before, and now United will miss that possibility too, with rivals Manchester City picked ahead of them.
According to The Times, the 74,300-seat stadium has failed to meet some of UEFA's requirements and is in need of serious refurbishment.
Old Trafford has too many problems. Image:
alamy
While Man City's Etihad Stadium has a significantly lower capacity at the moment, it is expected to increase to 60,000 in the near future. The stadium, formerly known as Manchester City Stadium, was originally used for the Commonwealth Games in the North West in 2002 and is much more modern than United's home ground.
The lack of development in the 'Theater of Dreams' was one of many fan complaints about the Glazer family's ownership of the club, and a video of the toilet's condition recently surfaced. spread on the internet.
The Americans are likely to sell the club is another reason Old Trafford missed out on hosting the league's games, with the future of the pitch uncertain, with potential new owners potentially invest in Old Trafford or build a new stadium.
"Manchester United is delighted to offer Old Trafford as a potential host for UEFA Euro 2028 matches and is proud of the strong case we have presented," the club said in a statement. An announcement.
"However, in further discussions with the FA, it became clear that we were unable to provide the necessary certainty regarding the availability of Old Trafford due to the potential for redevelopment of the stadium. Accordingly, we have mutually agreed to remove ourselves from the shortlist of potential hosts.
"We are committed to maintaining Old Trafford's status as England's largest and most iconic club ground and look forward to the opportunity to host international matches and major events in the coming year. future at "Theater of Dreams".
"Everyone at Manchester United wishes the FA every success with its bid to host the tournament in 2028."
The FA's list of 14 stadiums will be reduced to 10 next week, although UEFA may change the stadiums themselves.
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