Michael Carrick Urges Manchester United to Honor Munich Air Disaster History

Last Updated:February 06, 2026, 08:28 IST

Michael Carrick urges Manchester United to honor the Munich air disaster as the club marks its 68th anniversary.

Michael Carrick emphasised that his Manchester United players must “understand the history" of the Munich air disaster, as the club prepares to commemorate the 68th anniversary of the tragedy.

The United team was returning from a European Cup victory over Red Star Belgrade when their plane crashed in Munich after a refuelling stop, resulting in 23 fatalities, including 11 players and staff members of the English club.

Carrick made his remarks during Thursday’s pre-match press conference ahead of the match against Tottenham, which was rescheduled to avoid overlapping with Friday’s service at Old Trafford commemorating the disaster.

“As soon as you join this club, you are made aware of its history," said Carrick, who has served United as a player, coach, and manager. “It’s a responsibility to understand what came before us and the behaviours and responsibilities we need to uphold.

“Munich is probably the most significant part of this club’s history in terms of the tragedy, how the team and the club bounced back, and the subsequent successes."

Carrick has enjoyed a promising start to his tenure with three consecutive wins over Manchester City, Arsenal, and Fulham.

The former Middlesbrough manager benefits from ample training ground time, with United scheduled to play only 40 games this season—their lowest number since the 1914/15 campaign.

This opens the possibility of arranging lucrative friendly matches, with a trip to Saudi Arabia reportedly being considered in the coming months.

There are no plans for the 13-day break following next week’s trip to West Ham. However, there are gaps in the March and April schedule that could see United travel to the Middle East to compensate for some of the revenue lost from not playing in Europe this season.

“We’re aware of the schedule and the available spaces that we can utilize in different ways," added Carrick. “So it’s all up for discussion at the moment."

Patrick Dorgu remains sidelined with a hamstring injury he sustained after scoring in the 3-2 win at Arsenal. Carrick also mentioned that Matthijs de Ligt and Mason Mount are nearing a return but will miss the Tottenham game.

(With Agency Inputs)

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