UEFA dugout rule forces Manchester United to renovate Old Trafford ahead of Champions League return

Manchester United have started work on the dugouts at Old Trafford this summer after a UEFA rule change made the existing structures non-compliant ahead of the club’s return to the Champions League next season.

UEFA’s updated Stadium Infrastructure Regulations, introduced since United last hosted a Champions League fixture in December 2023, require that stadiums be equipped with two team benches — one either side of the halfway line — each capable of seating at least 20 people and positioned no closer than four metres from the touchline. Old Trafford’s previous dugouts held only 16 seats, falling short of the new threshold.

The last Champions League night at the ground ended in a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich under Erik ten Hag, a result that eliminated United at the group stage in 2023/24. The club will return to the competition next season for the first time since.

Under the revised design, both the home and away dugouts will now accommodate 21 seats. The back row, which previously held four seats, will be expanded to eight; the middle row grows from six seats to seven; and the front row remains unchanged at six. Building work is expected to take a couple of weeks to complete.

The requirement is part of article eight of UEFA’s updated regulations, a wide-ranging document that sets detailed infrastructure standards for clubs competing in the men’s Champions League. Old Trafford, one of European football’s most recognisable venues, joins a number of grounds across the continent that have had to adapt to the revised rules.