The English club Manchester United has decided to cancel the tradition of exchanging gifts with its competitors during the friendly matches preparing for the new season 2025/2026, in a move that has sparked widespread controversy among rival clubs, according to a report by 'talkSPORT'.

United's management confirmed that the decision is part of a new policy to reduce festive displays and unnecessary courtesies, especially when facing well-known English clubs, noting that this direction is not directly related to a financial crisis.

The decision will take effect starting with the friendly match against Leeds United scheduled for July 19 in Stockholm, and will later extend to matches against West Ham, Bournemouth, Everton, and possibly Fiorentina in August. Instead of symbolic gifts, the club plans to organize an official reception for the officials of the rival clubs on the sidelines of the matches.

This comes in conjunction with cost-cutting policies being adopted by the new administration led by Jim Ratcliffe, which also included the dismissal of employees and the closure of the staff cafeteria, as part of efforts to address financial losses exceeding £300 million over the past three years.

The decision has surprised some clubs that had prepared special gifts to present to Manchester United during the friendly encounters, especially as the tradition of exchanging commemorative shields between teams remains unchanged.