Latest Manchester United news as Ruben Amorim looks to replicate Jose Mourinho’s success in 2017 in the Europa League
Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho(Image: PA)
Manchester United are one victory away from lifting their third major tournament in three years after reaching the Europa League final. United beat Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate in the semi-final to set-up an all-English final with Tottenham Hotspur.
Both teams have endured woeful domestic seasons with United 15th and Spurs 16th in the Premier League with three games left to play. However, they have worked their way through the Europa League team to reach the Bilbao final.
Ruben Amorim’s men have knocked out Lyon and Bilbao on their way to the final whilst Spurs knocked Eintracht Frankfurt out before avoiding a banana skin against Bodo/Glimt in the semi-final.
Whichever team lifts the trophy will qualify for the Champions League and end the disappointing season on a high. However, the likes of Arsene Wenger and many in the football world have slammed the ruling that allows the Europa League team to play in the Champions League.
Fortunately for United, the rule won’t be changed and they could save their upcoming transfer window by securing a spot in the Champions League. Back in 2017, Jose Mourinho was in a similar boat to Amorim.
The Special One led United to the Europa League with a 2-0 win over Ajax after finishing sixth in the Premier League. After the victory in Stockholm, Mourinho insisted the season had been a success because of the European trophy win.
He said: “In a bad season, in a season where sometimes I felt that my team was the worst team in the world, where I felt that sometimes I was the worst manager in the world we managed to win three trophies and we go to the Champions League by winning a trophy, not by finishing second or third or fourth.
Jose Mourinho oversaw United’s Europa League win in 2017(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
“We have the honour to go to the European Super Cup and play against the new Champions League winner, so I think the season was really good.
“Tonight was the victory of pragmatism, the victory of the humble people, the people that respect opponents, the people that tried to stop the opponents’ qualities, tried to exploit the opponents’ weaknesses.
“For me, it was a victory of a fantastic group, but based on pragmatism and based on humble principles. No poets, just humble people.”
Get United transfer news and updates on WhatsApp!
Our team of Manchester United experts are on top of all the goings-on at Old Trafford for this week and beyond, and you can get the latest team news, injury updates, reaction and analysis along with inside information to your phone by joining our new free WhatsApp community. You can also join the 50,000 (and growing!) band of United fans who are following our WhatsApp Channel.
Sign up to our community here, and join our WhatsApp channel here.
—
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.