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Manchester United on Tuesday announced plans to build a new 100, 000-capacity stadium that co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said would be the “world’s greatest” football ground.

The decision by the Premier League club came after an extensive consultation process around whether to develop their existing historic Old Trafford stadium or build a new one close by, in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force.

United have now confirmed their “intention to pursue a new 100, 000-seater stadium as the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area”.

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The club hopes the new ground can be finished in five years.

Scaled models and conceptual images for how the new Old Trafford and surrounding area could look like were revealed on Tuesday at the London headquarters of architects Foster + Partners, appointed in September to design the stadium district.

“Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford”, Ratcliffe said.

“Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport”.

Ratcliffe said by building next to the existing site the club would be able to “preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home”.

The club said the stadium and a wider regeneration project had the potential to deliver an additional £7.3 billion ($9.4 billion) per year to the UK economy, including the possible creation of 92, 000 new jobs.

The move to a new ground has been backed by former United boss Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles during his reign of more than 26 years.

“Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in”, Ferguson said.

“Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made”.

Sebastian Coe, who chaired the task force, said Tuesday “marks an important step forward in what I firmly believe can be the biggest and most exciting urban regeneration project in the UK since the 2012 London Olympics”.

United hope the stadium can be built in five years, with sections to be constructed off site and transported along the Manchester Ship Canal.

The start date remains uncertain.

Regarding the financing of the project, chief executive Omar Berrada added: “It’s a very attractive investment opportunity so we’re quite confident we’ll find a way to finance the stadium”.

A Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and a double from Jhon Duran fired Al Nassr into the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday, with a 3-0 second leg win over Esteghlal.

Ronaldo, the Al Nassr captain, was reportedly rested for last week’s goalless draw in the first leg in Iran, however returned to lead the side at Al Awwal Park.

Ronaldo scored from the spot midway through the first half.

Al Nassr, one of three Saudi Arabian sides to dominate the west region’s group stage, needed only nine minutes to take the lead in Riyadh.

Duran, a winter signing from English Premier League side Aston Villa, picked up a loose ball on the right edge of the Esteghlal penalty area and floated a superb chip over goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini.

It marked the striker’s first goal in the competition.

Al Nassr doubled their advantage on 27 minutes after Sadio Mane, a UEFA Champions League winner with Liverpool, drew a foul from rival midfielder Zobeir Niknafs inside the Esteghlal box.

Ronaldo casually stroked the spot-kick into the centre of the net to take his tally in this year’s Champions League Elite to seven goals in six appearances.

The Portuguese star is the leading scorer in this season’s Saudi Pro League, with 18 goals.

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Esteghlal’s night got even worse just before half-time when they were reduced to 10 men when Mehran Ahmadi inadvertently caught Al Nassr defender Mohammed Al Fatil with a stray arm in the face while trying to shield the ball.

VAR upgraded the foul to a yellow card and, with Ahmadi having earlier been booked, he was promptly sent off.

Al Nassr went close to adding a third at the beginning of the second half. First, Duran had an effort saved only for Ayman Yahya’s rebound to be cleared off the line.

Minutes later, Duran thumped the Esteghlal crossbar with a shot from distance.

The Al Nassr forward would not be denied his second, though, dragging a low shot inside the near post after being teed up by former Chelsea winger Angelo.

In Monday’s other match, two-time Asian champions Al Sadd booked their place in the last eight with a 4-2 aggregate victory against UAE champions Al Wasl.

The visitors, held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Dubai one week earlier, took an early through Fabio Lima.

However, Al Sadd replied with three goals in 10 minutes from just before the half hour, with Mostafa Meshaal, Youcef Atal and Akram Afif finding the net. Afif is the reigning Asian Player of the Year.

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has blasted some of his troubled club’s stars as “not good enough” and “probably overpaid”.

Ratcliffe made his scathing assessment after enduring a dismal start to his reign at Old Trafford since taking charge of football operations in February last year.

The British billionaire named Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Casemiro, Jadon Sancho and Antony as the chief causes of his frustration.

Sancho and Antony are currently on loan at Chelsea and Real Betis respectively after underachieving with United.

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In reference to United still paying instalments of transfer fees on several players, Ratcliffe, who shares ownership with the US-based Glazer family, told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Monday: “If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying Onana, we’re buying Hojlund, we’re buying Sancho.

” These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.

“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17 million to buy him in the summer”.

Asked if he was suggesting those players were not good enough for United, Ratcliffe said: “Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time”.

After United finished eighth in the Premier League last season and won the FA Cup, Ratcliffe and his United advisors opted to stick with boss Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman was subsequently sacked in October and replaced by Ruben Amorim after United endured another wretched run.

INEOS chairman Ratcliffe has accepted the decision to keep Ten Hag was a mistake.

He applied the same verdict to his decision to hire Dan Ashworth as sporting director, a role he left in December after just five months.

&nbsp, ‘Returning to greatness ‘

“I agree the Erik ten Tag and Dan Ashworth decisions were errors”, the 72-year-old said.

“I think there were some mitigating circumstances, but ultimately they were errors. I accept that and I apologise for that”.

Despite United’s struggles since Amorim took charge, leaving them 14th in the Premier League, Ratcliffe insisted he would keep faith with the former Sporting Lisbon boss.

“If I actually look at the squad which is available to Ruben, I think he is doing a really good job to be honest”, he said.

“I think Ruben is an outstanding young manager. I really do. He’s an excellent manager and I think he will be there for a long time”.

Backing Amorim’s decision to allow England forward Marcus Rashford to join Aston Villa on loan, Ratcliffe said: “He wants a dressing room that is full of people who are totally committed to winning football matches.

” He won’t tolerate people who don’t have 100 percent of that attitude. The players have to be in the same box. “

Ratcliffe made his incendiary comments on United’s moribund team just 24 hours after thousands of fans took part in a protest against the club’s ownership ahead of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Angry chants were directed at the Glazers and Ratcliffe, whose controversial off-field decisions have included a mid-season ticket price hike, as well as 200 anticipated redundancies among staff after 250 jobs were cut last year.

Ratcliffe claimed the” unpleasant “cost-cutting measures were” necessary “because the club would” run out of money at Christmas if we don’t do those things”.

Stressing his” only interest here is returning Manchester United back to greatness again”, Ratcliffe said Amorim would have money to spend in the close-season to improve his squad.

United haven’t won the Premier League since 2013, the last season of Alex Ferguson’s legendary spell as manager.

While they have a huge task to close the gap on champions-elect Liverpool in future, Ratcliffe insisted his aim of winning the league by 2028, the club’s 150th anniversary, was” not impossible”.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said his team will face Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday playing for club doctor Carles Minarro, who died on Saturday.

The Catalan giants hold a 1-0 lead in the last 16 tie from the first leg in Lisbon ahead of the clash at the Olympic Stadium.

Barcelona’s La Liga match on Saturday against Osasuna was postponed 20 minutes before kick-off after the 53-year-old doctor died that afternoon.

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“It’s a huge loss, Carles was a really great person, but also a great doctor, and this combination of Ricard (Pruna, another club doctor) and him was unbelievable for the club and for the team,” Flick told a news conference Monday.

“(He was) one of the big puzzle (pieces) for the success, because they are doing a great job, and we miss him, but it’s also life. I think he will support us from above.

“The team also, we want to play… for him. Now in this situation, it’s very important that we win, and this is the focus, what we want to do tomorrow. ”

Doctor Minarro had been working with different Barcelona sides since 2017, and began working with the men’s football first team a few months ago.

Barcelona beat Benfica 5-4 in Lisbon in the group stage and then again with 10 men for most of the game last week after Pau Cubarsi was sent off.

However Flick said his squad would not take progress to the quarter-finals as a given, with Benfica beating Juventus on the road in the group stage and thrashing Atletico Madrid at home.

“None of us thinks that it’s done, and this is the important thing,” continued the coach.

“Their away matches in the Champions League, they are doing really great, they won a lot of matches away. So we have to think about that and take care. ”