Manchester United's Munich air disaster memorial was vandalized and looted; valuable medals were stolen. Fans are outraged and condemning the act as "utterly despicable."

Manchester United's Manchesterplatz, a memorial site for the Munich air disaster in the Trudring district of eastern Munich, Germany, has been burglarized. Munich police stated that the glass display cases were smashed with stones on Monday, allowing thieves to steal several unique commemorative medals and a glass sculpture. The news has caused a huge uproar among Manchester United fans.

Munich police stated that the display case glass was smashed with stones on Monday, and the perpetrators took advantage of the opportunity to loot the place.

On February 6, 1958, a plane carrying Manchester United players, team staff, and entourage crashed during takeoff from Munich, killing 23 people, including eight of Old Trafford's star players. This air disaster, which shocked the football world, remains the deepest wound in the hearts of Manchester United fans, and the memorial erected at the crash site is an important place for people from all walks of life to remember the victims.

According to police, the incident is believed to have occurred on Monday. The perpetrator smashed the display case glass with a rock, took the valuable items inside, and fled. The location had previously been visited by soccer team captain Bruno Fernandes to present flowers, making this attack all the more heartbreaking.

Ifty Ahmed, chairman of the Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation, issued a statement in a somber tone afterward. He said the foundation was deeply saddened by the vandalism and theft, emphasizing that Manchester Square holds immense significance for the families of the 23 victims and for Manchester United supporters worldwide.

Ahmed also expressed his special gratitude to his friends in Munich, especially the "Red Docs," for their long-term meticulous maintenance, and praised them for their swift action in repairing the damaged facilities after the incident. He said, "The perpetrators may be able to damage display cases and steal valuable items, but they cannot steal our memories, nor can they weaken our friendship, nor can they erase the spiritual legacy left by those we mourn." He also emphasized that the memories of the victims will live on forever, and the emotional bond between Manchester and Munich is unbreakable.

It is worth mentioning that although Manchester United offered to cover the repair costs, the foundation still funded the repairs of the broken windows on the day of the incident.

After the news broke, Manchester United fans were outraged on social media. Some fans condemned the act as "inhuman, disgusting, and extremely disrespectful," hoping the perpetrator would be caught and severely punished by law as soon as possible. Others stated that stealing from the memorial site "has crossed the line of morality" and hoped all stolen items would be recovered. Still others said they had known the site had been vandalized beforehand, but were shocked that someone would actually steal from it, calling it "unbelievable." Some angrily denounced the perpetrator as "utterly despicable," while others simply expressed their anger with the word "unforgivable."

The memorial stone at Manchester Place was erected in 2004, with display cases added later. The annual memorial service held there this February attracted nearly 1,500 people, demonstrating its significance to football fans. Police are still searching for the suspect, and the recovery of the stolen medals and glass sculpture remains a focus of public attention.