After Louis van Gaal's terrible winless start to the season – United's worst in the Premier League for 22 years – and the cup thrashing at the hands of football minnows MK Dons this week, he might be regretting his decision.
But even dictators, tyrants and terrorists need a way to let off steam and enjoy the beautiful game like the rest of us.
Robert Mugabe (Chelsea)
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A bridge too far: Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe is a Chelsea fan
Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe – aka the butcher of Harare – loves to watch his beloved Chelsea when he's not killing 20,000 people with ethnic cleansing.
But even when he's chilling out watching the footie, he still doesn't sound like someone you want to be around.
He said: "When I watch soccer, I do not want anyone to disturb me. Even my wife knows where to sit because while they are scoring in the field I will also be scoring at home, kicking everything in front of me.”
Idi Amin (Hayes FC)
An estimated 500,000 people died under the regime of brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. And the deceased despot learnt everything he knew thanks to the British.
He spent 15 years in the British army where a fellow officer sang the praises of lowly Hayes FC – a non-league west London club.
The Conference South side merged with Yeading FC in 2007.
Osama Bin Laden (Arsenal)
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Get in the bin: Osama Bin Laden was banned from Arsenal
Before he led one of the world's most wanted terrorist groups, he was the son of a billionaire who jetted around the world.
Spending time at the family home in London, the soon-to-be Al Qaeda chief went to Highbury several times and is said to have bought one of his sons an Ian Wright replica shirt.
Gunners fans even dreamed up a chant for him: "Osama, woah-oh, Osama, woah-woah-woah-woah, he's hiding in Kabul, he loves the Arsenal."
On hearing reports of Bin Laden's love for the Gunners they banned the future terrorist from their ground.
Colonel Gaddafi (Liverpool)
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Mug's game: A Liverpool FC mug was found when Colonel Gaddafi died
After the fall of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, a Liverpool mug was found among his personal remains.
His son Al-Saadi Gaddafi tried to be a professional footballer and went on to invest heavily in Juventus, where he became a director.
He also considered buying a stake in Liverpool.
General Franco (Real Madrid)
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Real football fan: Franco was mad on Madrid – Atletico first and then Real
Fascist Franco was not only the dictator of Spain but he was also a GLORY HUNTER.
He started out as a fan of Atletico Madrid but jumped ship when Los Blancos started winning the European Cup from 1956-1960.
Radovan Karadzic (Inter Milan)
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Rad all over: Radovan Karadzic was into Inter Milan
The Bosnian Serb went into hiding as the world hunted him for war crimes for the genocide of Muslims and Croats.
But he came out of hiding to watch Inter Milan after they signed Serbian players Sinisa Mihajlović and Dejan Stanković.
Josef Stalin (Dynamo Moscow)
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Go with the Jo: Josef Stalin was a big Dynamo Moscow fan
Feared KGB boss Lavrentiy Beria was responsible for thousands disappearing into the Lubyanka.
So when he set up Dynamo Moscow, players knew they had better perform.
Communist leader Stalin was a big fan and when the USSR lost an Olympic match to Yugoslavia in 1952, the furious dictator ordered the CSKA Moscow team, which had supplied most of the players, to be disbanded.
Nicolae Ceausescu (Steaua Bucharest)
Until the 1989 revolution, the Romanian army were the owners of Steaua Bucharest.
Dictator Ceausescu got to play football manager for real and became involved in the enforced transfer of players, including Gheorghe Hagi and Gheorghe Popescu without the agreement of either the player or their original clubs.
The club won the national league for six consecutive seasons in the 1980s and also the European Cup in 1986.
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