Fans in disbelief as viral footage shows four Man Utd players taking part in ‘open-top bus parade’ before ASEAN All-Stars defeat
Things are going from bad to worse for Manchester United and their fans after the club were mocked for taking part in an open-top bus parade ahead of their post-season defeat to the ASEAN All-Stars.
Ruben Amorim and his 32-man travelling squad are taking part in a two-game tour of Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, just days after they ended their disappointing Premier League campaign with victory over Aston Villa.
On Wednesday evening, United made the humid trip to the Bukit Jalil National Stadium for their opener against the ASEAN All-Stars, but the Reds suffered a humiliating 1-0 loss after Maung Maung Lwin scored the winner with 71 minutes played.
It was another evening to forget for Amorim's men, and it came just hours after four first-team players – Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven – took part in a bizarre open-top bus parade in Kuala Lumpur.
Advert
As you can see from the viral footage below, the 'Glory, Glory Man United' chant was played from a stereo system as several fans lined the streets to witness what was happening.
Here's how fans on social media reacted to the clip.
One said: "Just when you thought this season couldn't get any worse," and a second wrote: "Zirkzee looks so embarrassed."
A third commented: "The barrel is now being scraped. What’s going to be next? A festival of failure?" and a fourth said: "This is the most shameless thing I’ve ever seen in my life."
A fifth added: "Genuinely baffles me how the club can approve something like this. It’s an absolute PR disaster. It’s disgusting to watch as a fan and must be incredibly embarrassing for the players and manager."
Ahead of kick-off on Wednesday night, United's chief executive Omar Berrada voiced his thoughts on the controversial pre-season trip to Asia.
He said: "We appreciate the amazing level of support that Manchester United enjoys around the world and this summer we are delighted to deliver a schedule that provides our fans in Asia, Scandinavia and the United States the opportunity to connect with the club and watch the men’s first team play live in local settings.
"Importantly, Tour fixtures drive significant additional revenue which help make the club stronger, allowing us to keep investing in success on the pitch."
According to widespread reports, United will earn around £8 million for taking part in the tour.
After their trip to Asia, United will begin their pre-season preparations for 2025/26 with a July friendly against Leeds in Sweden. A tour of the United States will then commence, which features three games as part of the Premier League Summer Series.
Topics: Premier League, Man Utd
Jack Kenmare