Manchester United’s former women’s manager, Geoff Konopka, who was convicted of pedophilia, was celebrated in the club’s museum, despite the heinous crimes he committed.
Konopka managed United Ladies from 1983 to 2001. In 2011, he received a four-year prison sentence for 19 offenses, including indecent assault and gross indecency involving girls under 16 and 14.
The Times reported that Konopka attended a Women’s Super League match last season as a “special guest,” where thousands of children were present.
United claimed they were unaware of his crimes and stated that had they known, he would not have been invited to the game.
Konopka was also featured in the Old Trafford museum, despite being on the sex offenders register. Manchester United, upon learning of his convictions, promptly disassociated themselves from him and expressed sympathy for the victims.
Members of the United Ladies team expressed shock and disgust upon seeing Konopka celebrated. The club has since removed references to him from their channels. United Ladies disbanded in 2005, but Manchester United Women was re-established in 2018 under the club’s official umbrella.
The club stated, “Manchester United expresses its heartfelt sympathy to the victims and all those affected by these abhorrent crimes.”
