Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has admitted that winning the Europa League will not “save” the club’s season, despite the potential to secure Champions League qualification and a major trophy.
United have had a turbulent domestic campaign, sitting 14th in the Premier League with just 39 points from 34 games, a far cry from their usual standards. However, they remain in the hunt for European glory, facing Athletic Club in the Europa League semi-finals, with the first leg scheduled for Thursday.
While a Europa League victory would offer a path to the Champions League, Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag as manager in November 2024, emphasized that it would not fix the deeper issues at the club. “Everybody knows that it’s really important for our season,” Amorim said. “We know that nothing is going to save our season, but this can be huge. Winning a trophy and also getting into the Champions League, to have European games next year, could change a lot of things in our club, even in the summer.”
United’s progress to the semi-finals has been dramatic, having staged a remarkable comeback in the quarter-finals. They scored two goals in the final minute of extra time against Lyon, sealing a 5-4 win in the second leg to progress 7-6 on aggregate.
However, Amorim warned that a Europa League triumph would not address the underlying problems at Manchester United, citing the team’s poor domestic form. “Europa League will not change anything in our problems – it’s going to help us to have Champions League next year, more money to spend, but the problems are still there,” he explained. “We have to change the minds of our fans with consistency, good decisions, good recruitment, a good academy. This is what we need to change to take this club back to the top.”
United’s squad will be slightly depleted for the first leg, with Amad Diallo and Matthijs de Ligt not yet fit to start. Diallo, who has been out since February with an ankle injury, and De Ligt, who has missed a month due to a similar issue, will be absent from the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Athletic Club will be without their top scorer, Oihan Sancet, for the match.
Amorim also addressed the controversy surrounding teams like United, who are struggling domestically yet have a chance to qualify for the Champions League through Europa League success. “It’s the rules,” he said. “Maybe you could say it’s not fair because the best teams should be in the Champions League. But I suspect it’s done to give value to this competition. If we have that possibility, we should try to reach it.”
In the other semi-final, Tottenham, who are currently 16th in the Premier League, will face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt. The final will take place in Bilbao on 21 May.
