Manchester United have begun informing staff they have lost their jobs just days after the club's agonising Europa League final defeat against Tottenham.
The timing of this second round of redundancies under Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ownership has reportedly caused "surprise" at Old Trafford, with the pain of Wednesday's loss still fresh.
Staff at United's Carrington training ground were among those being told on Friday whether they would be retained or let go as the club continues its cost-cutting measures.
Ruben Amorim's men fell short in Bilbao as Brennan Johnson's scrappy goal secured a 1-0 win for Spurs, helping them end their 17-year wait for a trophy.
Brennan Johnson scored the only goal in Spurs' 1-0 win over Manchester United
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United's defeat means they won't be playing in the Champions League next season and have missed out on a £100million windfall in the process.
This represents another significant blow for the club and their perilous financial situation. It will also be only the second time since 1990 that United will be without European football.
However, it has been reported that the club planned for the future without European football next season, meaning the £100m extra revenue would have been a bonus, not a necessity.
United staff were already told in February that 200 jobs were at risk, following 250 job cuts last year that saved the club between £8m and £10m.
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Manchester United owners Avram Glazer (centre), and Sir Jim Ratcliffe (right) with chief executive Omar Berrada (left)
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The report adds that "morale is low" at Old Trafford, especially after the departures of popular and long-serving staff members, with Ratcliffe earning the unwanted nickname 'The Jim Reaper'.
According to BBC Sport, the decision not to tell anyone connected to the first team of their fate was to try and ensure preparations for the Europa League final were not disrupted.
It is anticipated that the sports science, medical and scouting departments will be among the areas most affected by the cuts.
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Club sources are adamant the timescale for the redundancies has not changed, despite the timing coming so soon after the defeat in Bilbao.
Ratcliffe has embarked on a series of cost-cutting initiatives since purchasing a minority stake in the club in February 2024.
These have included scrapping free lunches for staff in the canteen, replacing them with the offer of free fruit, upping ticket prices, slashing concessions and removing Sir Alex Ferguson from his £2m-a-year ambassadorial role.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already cut 200 jobs from the club in the first round of redundencies
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Despite this, Ferguson was pictured alongside Ratcliffe and fellow co-owner Avram Glazer at Wednesday's final in Bilbao, where sources told BBC Sport that cars were driven to Spain for the use of Ratcliffe and senior club officials.
The British billionaire has defended these difficult decisions as necessary to restore Manchester United to stability.
"I know it's unpopular, and this period of change is uncomfortable for people, and some of the decisions we have to make are unpleasant," Ratcliffe said.
He warned of dire consequences without such measures: "The simple answer is the club runs out of money at Christmas if we don't do those things."
The latest cutbacks come against a bleak financial backdrop, with United losing more than £370m over the past five years.
