"Don't you dare use me?" VS "Think about how he couldn't play in the semifinals."
Manchester United lost 0-1 to Tottenham Hotspur on the 22nd (Korea time) in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League final held at Estadio San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain.
As a result, Manchester United bowed their heads in a critical match that was crucial for their return to European competition and qualification for the Champions League. The defeat in this final, where about £100 million was at stake in terms of club revenue, led to losses beyond just a trophy.
Manchester United took the field with a 3-4-3 formation. Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund, and Amad Diallo formed the frontline, while Patrick Dorgu, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and Noussair Mazraoui filled the midfield. Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, and Leny Yoro established the back three, with Andre Onana guarding the goal.
Tottenham faced off with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson were positioned at the front, while Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr, and Rodrigo Bentancur were placed in the center. Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Pedro Porro built the defense, while goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario wore the gloves. Captain Son Heung-min waited on the bench.
From the early stages of the match, Manchester United struggled with Tottenham's strong pressing and transition play and conceded the first goal to Brennan Johnson in the 41st minute. A cross from the left flank deflected off a defender, and Johnson quickly struck again to shake the net.
Ending the first half trailing 0-1, Manchester United launched an all-out attack in the second half. In the 68th minute, a clearance by goalkeeper Vicario was headed by Hojlund, but defender Micky van de Ven made a decisive clearance off the goal line. Although they created several more chances, they could not finish.
Midway through the match, Son Heung-min was substituted in, increasing Tottenham's counterattacks and frontline pressing, while Manchester United continued to seek an equalizer until the end of the second half, but ultimately could not find the net. Seven minutes of stoppage time were given, but they finished without scoring, losing 0-1.
As a result, Manchester United remained as runners-up in the Europa League and failed to secure a spot in European competitions for next season. The last chapter of a complete rebuilding under Coach Ruben Amorim has ended bitterly.
For Manchester United, this Europa League final was not just a trophy competition, but a "£100 million final" that impacted the club's future.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) noted before the match, "Whether or not qualifying for the Champions League significantly affects Manchester United's overall financial structure." Indeed, Manchester United has accumulated losses of about 559 billion won over the past three years, with liabilities exceeding £1 billion (about 1.8 trillion won), and a penalty clause of £10 million (about 18.5 billion won) in their contract with Adidas.
Club finance expert Kieran Maguire analyzed that entering the Champions League could generate up to £100 million in revenue. However, after losing 0-1 to Tottenham in this final, Manchester United failed to qualify for the Champions League, making a complete overhaul of the rebuilding plan unavoidable.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho criticized Amorim for leaving him on the bench. Garnacho's brother Roberto sarcastically remarked, "He ran harder than anyone else and produced results every round. But in the final, he only got to play for 19 minutes. Isn’t that really incredible?"
Garnacho also mocked Amorim by posting a photo on social media of himself scoring the winning goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. In a post-match interview, he vented, "I can't understand. I did so well, and I only got to play for a mere 20 minutes in the final. I can't wrap my head around it."
Previously, Garnacho was marked by Coach Amorim due to his complaints. In a post-match interview after the defeat, when asked, 'Shouldn't you have started Garnacho instead of Mount?' Amorim clashed back by saying, "What can you say after losing? But think about how Garnacho performed poorly in the semifinals."
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