Manchester United coach Darren Fletcher with star forward JJ Gabriel (left) after the FA Youth Cup final defeat by Manchester City.

Darren Fletcher, the coach of Manchester United, has condemned the Football Association's handling of the Youth Cup final, stating it felt as though their rivals, Manchester City, had "taken over" the competition. United lost the final 2-1 at Joie Stadium, marking a disappointing end to the season. Fletcher’s team had previously lost the Premier League Under-18 Cup to Crystal Palace on penalties after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser and also finished as runners-up to City in the Premier League North.

Despite acknowledging that Oliver Reiss' City side were the better team in Thursday's Youth Cup final, Fletcher was unhappy with the management of the event. City turned down United's offer to host the match at Old Trafford, as they stated it could not take place at Etihad Stadium due to ongoing construction work. This decision frustrated United’s academy staff, who believed it deprived both teams' players of the chance to play in a more prestigious setting.

Joie Stadium, with a capacity of 7,000, is home to City’s academy and women's teams and is located adjacent to the main stadium. Although Manchester City officials claimed it was a sell-out, the United section was full, while numerous seats remained empty in the home sections, despite the presence of both teams' first-team managers, Pep Guardiola of City and Michael Carrick of United.

Fletcher expressed further frustration regarding how the players and coaches of City were introduced as they received their winners' medals from EFL chairman Rick Parry. "I'm disappointed in the FA for everything surrounding this game: for the location, for everything," said Fletcher. "You have to respect the opposition, but not when Man City take over an FA Youth Cup. It's an FA competition and it should never have been like that. I've never heard individual coaches and players being announced like that. That doesn’t happen in cup finals. It felt like it was a Man City competition in the lead-up to the game and in how we had to handle things at the end. That’s my one gripe for tonight. But the best team won; compliments to them."

It is reported that Fletcher voiced his concerns forcefully, addressing FA officials during the post-match presentations. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the Premier League 2 play-off final at Brighton. That match, which is for under-21 players, is part of a double-header at Amex Stadium this Saturday evening, with a 19:30 BST kick-off, following a Women’s Super League game earlier that day. The scheduling makes it challenging for many of Fletcher’s squad members, who are also regulars in the PL2, to participate.

Furthermore, any young players expected to feature in United's Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Sunday lunchtime are unlikely to participate. "We're dealing with a lot of difficult dynamics right now concerning these youth fixtures, which is disappointing," said Fletcher. "With the under-21s game just 48 hours after this, some of our players won’t get to experience that. Hopefully, people reflect on this now that they have stepped back. There’s a lot of learning to be done for the Premier League and the FA regarding these historic competitions."

City declined to comment on Fletcher’s complaints.

This video cannot be played. Emile Heskey fires Manchester City back in front with a late strike.

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