Mourinho gets Sh2.5b in compensation

Ex-Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho during the press conference [Courtesy]

Manchester United paid Jose Mourinho and his staff Sh2.5 billion (£19.6m) in compensation following his sacking in December.

United revealed the figures in their second quarter financial results.

Mourinho was sacked after a run of poor results, culminating in a 3-1 defeat by Liverpool, that left them 11 points off fourth place in the Premier League.

Caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won 10 of his first 11 games before Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat by Paris St-Germain.

Within the financial results, which were released to the New York Stock Exchange, it said: “Exceptional items for the quarter were £19.6m, relating to compensation to the former manager and certain members of the coaching staff for loss of office.”

Mourinho, 55, took over in May 2016 and led United to League Cup and Europa League titles. In January 2018 he signed a contract extension until 2020 with the option of an extra year.

United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward says Solskjaer’s appointment, along with that of Sir Alex Ferguson’s former coach Mike Phelan as his assistant has “had a positive impact throughout the club”.

Woodward says he thinks United, who have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup and are now fourth in the Premier League, above Chelsea and Arsenal, will now have “a strong finish to the season”