Bruno Fernandes and Rúben Amorim have delivered the same message to Sir Jim Ratcliffe about leaving Manchester United this summer.
Manchester United were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on Wednesday night, ending their season in disappointment and missing out on a Champions League spot.
Tottenham were the brighter side early on and broke the deadlock just before the interval, with Brennan Johnson reacting quickest after a deflection off Luke Shaw.
United had a brief spell of pressure but failed to make it count, even after Rúben Amorim introduced Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee in the second half.
The changes brought little improvement, as United looked disjointed and uninspired going forward. Spurs managed the game confidently and deservedly lifted the trophy, leaving Amorim’s side to reflect on a flat and forgettable performance.
Fernandes makes stunning admission about leaving United
Bruno Fernandes had a poor performance on the night, failing to impact the game as he played a deeper role alongside Casemiro, with Mason Mount, Rasmus Højlund, and Amad across the front three.
In the last few months, the player has attracted reported interest from both Real Madrid and the Saudi Pro League, with the latter said to have offered him a £195 million three-year contract.
After the result, the player came out to speak with Portuguese media, making a stunning admission that although he would like to stay, he would not take a stance against leaving if the club felt it was the best solution.
“I’ve always said I will be here until the club says to me that it’s time to go,” Fernandes said. “I’m eager to do more, to be able to bring the club to great days.
“In the day that the club thinks that I’m too much or it’s time to part ways, football is like this, you never know it. But I’ve always said it, and I keep my word in the same way.
“If the club thinks it’s time to part ways because they want to do some cash in or whatever, it’s what it is, and football sometimes is like this.”
Amorim relayed the exact same message as Fernandes
What is interesting is that it was not only Fernandes who relayed a message stating that if the club felt it was better for him to go, then he would. Head coach Amorim said something very similar.
Speaking with the press after the game, Amorim sent a public offer to Sir Jim Ratcliffe and United’s power brokers that, if they no longer felt he was the right man in charge, he would leave United without any fuss and even waive his right to compensation.
“Like I said before coming here, in the flash [interview positions], I’m always open,” Amorim said. “If the board and the fans feel I’m not the right guy, I will go in the next day without any conversation about compensation, but I will not quit.
“Again, I’m really confident about my job and, as you can see, I will not change nothing in the way I do things.”
It feels unlikely that either Fernandes or Amorim will leave the club this summer, as the club captain is a key figure in the dressing room and the head coach is central to United’s plans this summer, but if the club do not start next season well, Amorim may be on the chopping block by Christmas.
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