United land Turkish Airlines deal

MANCHESTER UNITED chief executive David Gill insists the Old Trafford outfit have “a sensible business strategy”.

United confirmed another major sponsorship deal yesterday when Turkish Airlines were announced as the Red Devils airline partner. Aside from pocketing a sizeable cheque, United will benefit from use of Turkish Airlines planes for European trips, plus summer tours.

At a time when other major airlines are feeling a financial squeeze, it says much about United’s pulling power that they can complete deals their rivals can only dream of.

It flies in the face of accusations from those behind the hugely successful green and gold campaign that United is badly run.

And while the Glazer family will continue to attract hefty criticism for the debt mountain they built to complete their takeover in 2005, Gill is staunch in his defence of them. “People presuppose we have financial problems,” he said.

“We do not believe that is the correct situation. We are very comfortable and we have a sensible business strategy that will continue for many years to come.”

The Glazers do not need to be told United is a worldwide phenomenon, whose reach far outweighs any company of comparable size. It means United are still an attractive vehicle to be attached to, as the presence of Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher, Park Ji-sung and Nani at yesterday’s launch made obvious.

“We have 333 million followers and yesterday we celebrated 100 years at this great stadium,” said Gill. “Our history and heritage means we can bring a lot to the table. There is also a professionalism about us, so, whilst we are in an economic downturn, there are still many successful companies in the world investing in the future. We are one of the quality partners big entities can still associate with.”