Manchester United's latest Spanish signing could be its most important yet

Poor Manchester United fans. Forced to watch from the side-lines as rivals Liverpool and Manchester City take on Europe's finest in the Champions League, sputtering out prawn sandwiches as their ludicrously expensive team contrives to lose to Leicester City and MK Dons, and battling with the road works on the M6 that add another 90 minutes to the drive back down to Surrey.

But perhaps things are now looking up. United's latest Spanish signing is Abengoa - no, not the classy yet resilient centre half the team is crying out for, but a technology company better known for green energy and biofuels. The firm has been brought in as the club's first Official Sustainable Technology Partner and is now promising to give a boost to the team's already impressive green credentials. The Tank reckons this is also a first for English football, but we haven't actually checked - what do you think we are, a journalist or something?

Anyway, according to a United statement, Abengoa will "identify, advise and implement sustainable ways in which Manchester United can save resources and reduce waste", ultimately helping the club "enhance and develop its sustainable business practices". Rumours that it could also offer advice to Louis Van Gaal on how to sustainably integrate six attacking players into a team without compromising defensive capabilities were left unconfirmed.

Now the Tank could query Utd's priorities - after all, this is a club that has seen fit to enlist official tyre, paint, and global noodle partners before Abengoa came on board.

But even during its well-documented travails, Man Utd remains one of the biggest draws in a competition whose matches attract an average global audience of 12.3 million people.

No wonder Abengoa's chief executive, Manuel Sánchez Ortega, talks of "an excellent opportunity to show the world of football and its millions of supporters, including the next generation of sports fans, the principle of responsible and sustainable management of our energy and environment".

Ortega certainly talks a good game - no word if he's any good in defence, though.

Further reading

All together now: 'Three lions made of waste...'

• Recycling
• 14 August 2014

CDP: Greener companies are more profitable

• Investment
• 24 September 2014

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