Why did Man United fans throw tennis balls onto pitch during Roma Champions League tie?

Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo reacts as tennis balls are thrown onto the pitch by Manchester United fans during the match. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Manchester United fans attempted to disrupt the Champions League match against Roma on Tuesday by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch at Old Trafford.

By the end the home crowd was celebrating a rousing second-half comeback after two goals from Matheus Cunha and another from Bruno Fernandes sealed a 3-2 win.

United was 2-0 down after 17 minutes, but the protest had been pre-planned and flagged on social media earlier in the day as angry supporters wanted to vent their anger at the club’s ownership.

It ended up causing only a brief delay, with just a small number of balls being thrown from the Stretford End, which were quickly removed by players.

The protest was nothing like as disruptive as a similar demonstration by Celtic fans last year when trying to bring about a change in their club’s hierarchy.

READ | Man United vs Roma player ratings: Carrick and Co. mount comeback to end winless run

United supporters have long-tried to force regime change at their club with numerous protests against American owners the Glazer family.

Minority owner British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has also come in for criticism in the face of the club’s on-field problems and increased ticket prices.

Ratcliffe, the owner of petrochemical giant INEOS, assumed control of the football operations after buying an initial 25% stake for $1.3 billion in 2024. Since then the 20-time English champion has fired two coaches, while Michael Carrick’s position is under intense scrutiny after a troubled start to the season.

The Glazers have been unpopular among fans since their leveraged buyout of the club in 2005.

The protest was timed for 21 minutes to mark 21 years of the Glazers’ ownership.

United went into Tuesday’s game on a nine-game winless run and was quickly behind against Roma when Matias Soule struck after 11 minutes. Seven minutes later, Donyell Malen made it 2-0 with a penalty.

But a dramatic second half sparked scenes of celebration with Fernandes scoring a twice-taken penalty and Cunha hitting two goals in three minutes late on.

Cunha was then sent off.

By the final whistle it was a party atmosphere inside the stadium, but anti-Glazer chants persisted after the players left the field.

Published on Nov 04, 2026

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