They’re competing in the same competition, but are in different universes in terms of finances and European records.
Both Manchester United and Dundalk begin their Europa League campaigns in the Netherlands on Thursday evening.
Jose Mourinho’s side are in Rotterdam to take on Feyenoord, while Dundalk will play AZ Alkmaar.
Here’s a brief comparison of the two sides that will generate the greatest amount of interest with Irish fans in the competition this season. It also serves to highlight the Irish champions achievement in reaching this stage of European competition.
Stadium
Manchester United
With a capacity of just over 75,000, Old Trafford, United’s home ground since 1910, is the largest club stadium in Britain or Ireland.
Dundalk
Oriel Park is the home ground of the Irish champions holds 4,500. Dundalk have played at stadium since 1919 and on the all-weather playing surface since 2005.
Record signing
Manchester United
French midfielder Paul Pogba returned to Old Trafford in August, after four years with Juventus, for a world record fee understood to be €105 million.
Dundalk
Of the players currently in Stephen Kenny’s, Daryl Horgan was, according to the reliable Transfermarkt.com, the only one to command a transfer fee.
The talented winger joined Dundalk from Cork City for €10,000 in 2013. Needless to say, he’s worth a lot more now.
Finances
Manchester United
Earlier this week, it was announced that United will become the first club from the UK to earn more than half a billion pounds in a single year. United are set to record a turnover of £515.3m (€606.71m) for 2016.
United may have finished fifth last season, but they still pocketed £96.3m (€113.38m) in Premier League prize money.
Dundalk
The Irish champions made a profit of €26,000 for 2014, and earned €100,000 from winning the title. However, according to Talk of the Town, the club only pocketed €66,000 of the prize money, after an annual registration fee and fines were deducted from it.
Sponsorship
Manchester United
The club have more sponsors than Charlie Sheen.
From an “official office equipment sponsor” to an “official global spirits partner” and those sponsors get bang for their buck – as evidenced by the bizarre scenes at the end of last season, in which club mascots were dressed as X-Men to promote a film in the franchise.
This is football in 2016 https://t.co/h6GkIO3sr6 #MUFC
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 18, 2016
Dundalk
The Louth club’s shirt sponsor is Fyffe’s bananas, while Dundalk Institute of Technology, the Dundalk Democrat newspaper and Dundalk credit Union also sponsor the club. The local community has invested in the club, and no mascots have dressed as characters for a comic book film as part of a promotional deal.
European record
Manchester United
One of European football’s aristocrats, with three European Cups and a Cup Winners’ Cup, United were also the first English club to play in the European Cup.
The only slight against the club’s record in Europe is that they failed to win the top club competition more times. They won’t want to make a habit out of being in the Europa League, the only European competition they’ve failed to win.
Dundalk
No Irish side has come closer to reaching the lucrative group stages of the Champions League. Dundalk’s first game in Europe was back in 1963, when they lost 4-2 on aggregate to FC Zurich in the first round of the European Cup.
Dundalk have played 52 times in European, winning 10 games, drawing 11 and losing 31. The club’s 3-1 aggregate victory over Champions League regulars BATE Borisov last month is among the best in the history of Irish teams in Europe.
And for all of United’s goals in Europe, few have been better than this effort from Robbie Benson against Legia Warsaw.
Take a bow Robbie Benson! #Dundalk #UCLhttps://t.co/mjZ2iez2KT
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 23, 2016
Domestic record
Manchester United
Twenty top flight titles, 12 FA Cups, and four League Cups – United have been pretty successful.
Dundalk
Eleven league titles and 10 FAI Cups, the club are one of Ireland’s most successful clubs. They won their 11th title in style last year, breaking a 92-year record for the most goals (78) in a single season.
Dundalk set a very special League of Ireland record last night https://t.co/qBzZoTXcH0 pic.twitter.com/OsPfMxeDXw
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 31, 2015
Manager
Manchester United
Jose Mourinho. The aura around the ‘Special One’ isn’t what it once was and the United manager has plenty to prove after a disastrous few months last season with Chelsea.
Dundalk
Stephen Kenny. Two league titles, the FAI Cup and qualification for the Europa League, after almost reaching the group stages of the Champions League, Kenny has performed miracles in his almost four years in charge.
The 44-year-old has also build an excellent young side, and has a highly impressive win percentage of 67.64.
Stephen Rochford chats with Colm Parkinson on The GAA Hour, heated Lee Keegan debate, and Barry Cahill is outnumbered by Mayo backers. Subscribe here on iTunes.
