Man United cancel end-of-season awards ceremony after Arsenal defeat

Manchester United have reportedly scrapped its end-of-season awards dinner, initially slated for May 20, following their narrow defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford, Soccernet.football reports.

The Red Devils suffered a 1-0 home defeat to the title-chasing Gunners on Sunday, courtesy of an early Leandro Trossard goal.

However, United are citing a desire not to divert attention from the upcoming FA Cup final against Manchester City as the reason for the cancelled ceremony.

For over a decade, United have held a formal event, traditionally presenting awards to players from its men’s, women’s, and academy teams at a black-tie affair.

Notable honours include the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year Award, previously claimed by legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, and Roy Keane.

However, according to The Athletic, this year’s ceremony will not proceed following consultations with Erik ten Hag and the management team.

This marks the second cancellation in three years, with players requesting the cancellation after the disappointing 2021/22 season, where United finished sixth in the Premier League.

Currently, Ten Hag’s squad is on track for the club’s poorest Premier League finish, languishing in eighth place with just one win in their last eight league outings.

Despite this, individual awards will still be voted on and distributed among players, albeit without a formal gathering.

Nevertheless, the cancellation means there will be no formal recognition of standout goals, with players like Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Diogo Dalot, and Rasmus Hojlund potentially missing out on applause.