-
Manchester United Women were forced to buy new boots just before their Champions League clash in Bergen.
-
The emergency shopping cost around £4,000 but ensured the team could play.
-
Despite the effort, they fell 1–0 to SK Brann in the first leg.
Manchester United Women were thrown into last-minute chaos on Thursday when several players discovered their boots were missing just hours before a crucial UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifier in Bergen.
Also Read: Manchester United Eye Marcos Alonso to Bolster Defense
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
The problem only came to light after the squad arrived in Norway.
Having trained at Carrington earlier in the week, the team did not notice the missing kit until it was almost too late.
Consequently, club staff raced to a local sports shop and bought emergency replacements less than three hours before the 16:30 kick-off.
“We are a big store, but they were very lucky we had enough boots in stock that were the right size,” – shop owner Andre Gullord told BBC Sport.
“They paid between £200 and £230 for each pair of boots and £30 for the shin guards. We have had the odd player come in because they have left their boots behind, but never the entire team. Maybe we should have told them we only had boots with no studs to help the local team!” – he added.
At Gullord’s estimate, the unscheduled shopping spree cost just under £4,000.
Moreover, the disruption came on a tight travel schedule: Manchester United had taken a charter flight to Bergen to ease logistics ahead of a Women’s Super League trip to London City Lionesses on Sunday.
The incident left players and staff scrambling, and the disruption may have contributed to Marc Skinner’s side losing the first leg 1–0 to SK Brann as they chase a place in the main draw for the first time.
After the match, United midfielder Lisa Naalsund, who is from Bergen confirmed to TV2 that she had asked her mother to bring some boots.
“There were a few shoes that disappeared. We haven’t quite figured out where they are yet. It was right before we went to the stadium, so there was a bit of chaos.” – she said.
https://punchng.com/missing-boots-cause-chaos-for-man-united-women/
“A bag containing some of our players’ boots went missing during the journey to Bergen,” – said a United spokesperson.
“We are investigating how this happened. In the meantime, we secured new boots of the right make and sizes for all the affected players.”
In short, the missing kit added an avoidable distraction to the Manchester United – SK Brann clash.
