Kuala Lumpur. Manchester United’s postseason woes followed the club to another continent as it began its offseason tour with a 1-0 loss to a Southeast Asian all-star team in Kuala Lumpur, a fitting start after its worst Premier League season.
The reaction came swiftly, and from one of the highest offices in the country.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was among the 72,500 fans at Bukit Jalil Stadium on Wednesday night, suggested that Manchester United might face relegation, despite the possibility that jet lag played a role in the loss.
“Ouch. Man United failed to win another trophy,” Ibrahim posted on social media in a message translated from Malay. “Looks like you’re in for another tough season, hope you don’t drop to the Championship,” he added, referring to the second tier of English football where the Premier League’s bottom three teams are relegated each season.
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On Sunday, United concluded the Premier League season in 15th place, its lowest-ever finish in the competition. Just four days earlier, the club lost the UEFA Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur, ending its European campaign without a trophy.
Myanmar’s Maung Maung Lwin scored the only goal of the friendly in the 72nd minute, delivering a win for the Southeast Asian All-Stars, a team made up of the region’s top players.
“To face one of the world’s top clubs and deliver such a performance, it was truly remarkable from the team,” said All-Stars coach Kim Sang-sik. “We only trained for two days, but the players looked like they’d been playing together for 20 years. The team was well-organized and cohesive.”
Manchester United continues its tour with a stop in Hong Kong on Friday, followed by matches in Sweden and the United States.
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