Badge, Bravery, Spirit: Omar Berrada Lays Down Manchester United Core Values for a New Era
Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada has come up with three core values the club must abide by, while taking inspiration from Roy Keane & Eric Cantona.

Badge, Bravery, Spirit: Omar Berrada Lays Down Manchester United Core Values for a New Era

Inspired by Keane, Cantona, and the Club’s Resilient History

The start of a new season often brings fresh tactics, new signings, and renewed optimism. At Manchester United, it has also brought a rallying cry. Omar Berrada, the club’s recently appointed CEO, has set out three core values that he believes will define the club’s next chapter: Badge, Bravery, and Spirit.

Speaking to United’s staff earlier this week, Berrada made it clear that these are more than just words on a water bottle — though, yes, each member of staff did receive a sleek, metal bottle embossed with the slogan. These values, he said, are about living and breathing what Manchester United has always stood for.


Badge: Nobody Bigger Than the Crest

Berrada’s first point was as straightforward as it was uncompromising: nobody is bigger than the badge. At a club with such a storied history and global profile, egos can be as much of a challenge as opposition defences. His message was a reminder that personal agendas must never come before the team.

The badge, in United’s case, represents more than just a logo — it is decades of triumph and tragedy, glory and grit. From the Busby Babes to the Treble winners, the crest has been worn by players who understood that they were merely temporary custodians of a legacy far bigger than themselves.


Bravery: Standing Tall in Tough Times

The second value, bravery, isn’t just about lunging into tackles or taking shots from distance. For Berrada, it’s about resilience when the going gets tough. Last season’s 15th-place finish in the Premier League was a humbling experience for a club of United’s stature, and the lack of silverware left the fanbase restless.

Bravery, in this context, means having the mental strength to push through setbacks, to maintain high standards when results aren’t going your way, and to make the right decisions even when they aren’t the easiest.

Berrada reportedly used Roy Keane as a prime example. The former captain, famed for his iron will and unrelenting demands of himself and his teammates, embodied the kind of bravery United will need if they are to turn their fortunes around.


Spirit: The Cantona Edge

Manchester United v ACF Fiorentina - Pre-Season Friendly

Manchester United v ACF Fiorentina – Pre-Season Friendly

The third value, spirit, might be the most intangible — yet perhaps the most essential. Berrada spoke of Eric Cantona as an inspiration here, a player whose swagger, unpredictability, and self-belief gave Manchester United a fearlessness that opponents feared and fans adored.

Spirit, Berrada explained, is about that combustible energy that pushes a team to fight for every ball, to chase every lost cause, and to never back down from a challenge. It’s also about personality — the kind that makes United not just a football team, but a cultural force.


Linking the Past to the Present

In a poignant touch, Berrada drew on the club’s history to underline his point. He reminded staff of the spirit shown by Sir Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy in the aftermath of the 1958 Munich air disaster, when United had to rebuild from the ashes.

It was, according to those in the room, a moving moment — one that connected the club’s present challenges with its past resilience. A video celebrating United’s heritage accompanied the speech, reminding everyone of the moments that have defined the club and the values that have carried it through even the darkest times.


A Summer of Big Spending

Ruben Amorim Manchester United 2025

Ruben Amorim Manchester United 2025

While words set the tone, actions will define the season. United have already spent over £200 million in the summer transfer window, a clear sign that they intend to return to the upper echelons of English football. Ruben Amorim, the man tasked with delivering that resurgence, will be expected to integrate the new arrivals quickly and get them firing.

After last season’s disappointments, expectations are high. The Premier League is more competitive than ever, and there will be no patience for another underwhelming campaign. Berrada’s values will be put to the test almost immediately.


The Season Ahead: An Early Test Against Arsenal

United open their Premier League campaign at Old Trafford this Sunday against Arsenal — an opponent that has historically brought out their fiercest performances. From the infamous Keane-Vieira tunnel clash to last-minute winners in title races, this is a fixture steeped in drama.

For Berrada’s mantra to take hold, the players will need to show all three values from the first whistle: play for the badge, be brave in possession and in the challenge, and show the spirit to fight for every inch of the pitch.

A trip to Fulham follows the next weekend, another test that will reveal whether United can maintain intensity away from home.


Can These Values Translate to Results?

Core values are nothing new in football. Many clubs have them printed on dressing-room walls or woven into pre-match speeches. The challenge is making them more than decorative slogans.

For United, the difference will come in whether Berrada’s message resonates beyond the boardroom. It has to seep into the training ground, the changing room, and onto the pitch. Players have to believe it, the staff have to reinforce it, and the fans have to see it in action.

If those three elements align, “Badge, Bravery, Spirit” could become more than a catchphrase — it could be the foundation of a genuine revival.


The Cantona and Keane Blueprint

There’s a certain romanticism in invoking Cantona and Keane. They were very different personalities — Cantona the enigmatic artist, Keane the relentless enforcer — yet both were leaders in their own right.

United’s current squad will need to find modern equivalents of that leadership. Whether it’s a vocal presence in the dressing room, a technical talisman on the pitch, or a player who inspires through sheer work rate, someone will need to embody those qualities week in, week out.


Final Whistle

Omar Berrada’s speech might not win United a single point on its own, but it has set a tone. Badge, Bravery, Spirit is more than a motivational slogan; it’s a challenge to everyone connected to Manchester United to uphold the standards that have defined the club for over a century.

With a new season kicking off, a refreshed squad, and the weight of history behind them, United have a chance to turn last season’s disappointment into a launching pad for something far greater. The message is clear: play for the badge, stand tall in adversity, and never lose the spirit that makes Manchester United, Manchester United.

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