Manchester United will face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on Wednesday with qualification for the Champions League next season up for grabs.
Manchester United will face fellow Premier League team Spurs in Wednesday night’s Europa League final, with the spectacle being of certain interest to Jose Mourinho.
The 62-year-old was the last manager to win a European trophy with United, beating Ajax in the Europa League final back in 2017.
He has also managed their opponents Spurs, guiding them to a League Cup final against Manchester City in 2021, before getting sacked prior to the game, which City went on to win.
This season, The ‘Special One’ has been at the helm of Fenerbahçe, who faced United in their third game of the Europa League schedule.
Ahead of that fixture, which ended 1-1, Mourinho made a bold prediction about the outcome of the competition this year.
Mystic Mourinho’s prediction comes true
Speaking on who he thought would perform best in the competition, Mourinho dubbed United and Spurs the “biggest candidates” to win the Europa League, describing their quality as being on a “different level”.
With both clubs facing off in the final in Spain, the iconic manager’s prediction has come true before a ball has even been kicked in Bilbao.
Mourinho said: “In this format, where everybody tries to figure out what we need and nobody knows, every point you get is a difficult point.
“To play in Porto is not easy. To get a point in Porto is not easy for anybody. We also played against Twente, of course the world expects Man United to beat Twente, especially at Old Trafford.
“One thing is the results Manchester United is having and another thing is the potential of the team.
“I think they are in a stable situation. If I have to say now which are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League, it’s easy: Man United and Tottenham.
“Premier League is a different level of quality, it’s a different level of intensity, it’s a different level of pace, it’s a different level of tactical culture, it’s a different level of everything.”
Last chance to save United’s season
With United and Spurs currently sitting 16th and 17th in the Premier League respectively, it’s been a domestic campaign to forget for both sides.
This Europa League final is pivotal for both clubs, with an opportunity to play in the Champions League next season an exciting prospect for both sides.
For United, the money acquired by qualifying for European football’s most elite competition would be a more than welcome addition to their budget, with a massive squad overhaul expected this summer.
The added pull that the club would have in terms of acquiring players would be huge too, with many big-name players being much more likely to join should United play in Europe next season.
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