Nemanja Matić has offered a frank assessment of his time at Manchester United, suggesting the club lacked the same hunger for silverware that defined his earlier years at Chelsea.
The Serbian midfielder, who joined United in 2017 after winning two Premier League titles and an FA Cup under Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea, said that he quickly sensed a different atmosphere at Old Trafford – one that, in his view, placed more emphasis on commercial success than on winning trophies.
Speaking to The Athletic, Matić said: “Roman Abramovich would only ask us [at Chelsea] about results. At United, it was more commercial-minded. I started to think that after a couple of months at the club.”
He added: “I understand that our salary needs to be paid, but I felt that results were not the focus like they were at Chelsea. I maybe did two commercial jobs at Chelsea. At United, it was far more.”
Matić admitted that he arrived in Manchester with the “anger to win trophies”, but that motivation began to wane as he perceived a different set of priorities. “Step by step I started to feel that trophies were not the focus. Maybe I’m not right, but that was my feeling inside.”
Despite his reservations, Matić was quick to defend the commitment of the players and staff during his five-year spell, highlighting their efforts to compete at the top level. “We did our best every single year—the players, the coaches,” he said. “We finished second, sixth, third, second and sixth. We played in the Europa League, Super Cup and FA Cup finals. We played Champions League football in four of my five seasons. But we didn’t win.”
Still, the former United number 31 acknowledged that for a club of United’s stature, anything short of titles was not enough. “United need to be winning leagues,” he said.
Ahead of Lyon’s Europa League quarter-final tie against United on Thursday (10 April), Matić is preparing to face his former club once again—this time from the other side of the pitch.
“It’s a big game,” he said. “The fans will be loud here. The fans are different to England. To get the same support you get in the Premier League in France, you need good results.”
Now at Lyon, Matić’s comments come as both clubs look to make a strong statement in Europe—one chasing past glories, the other hoping to restore them.
