Tag Archives: Europa League

Lifestyle

Manchester United prepare to take on Tottenham after dismal league campaign

Maravi Post Reporter

Manchester United have the chance to salvage something from a historically bad league campaign on Wednesday when they take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final in Bilbao.

Despite languishing in 16th place in the Premier League table with a mammoth record 17 defeats, the ‘Red Devils’ remain unbeaten in Europe and progressed to the final with a 7-1 aggregate demolition of La Liga outfit of Athletic Bilbao.

That win means Ruben Amorim’s side now have a chance to now secure Champions League football for next season via the back door of winning the Europa League – despite the dismal league campaign.

Defender Harry Maguire, who has once again become an integral part of Ruben Amorim’s system despite an up-and-down few years with the club, says the players will ‘give everything’ in a huge match for the club. “Of course, it’s a big game,” said the defender, speaking ahead of the final. “We know it’s such a big game for everyone, the fans, after such a disappointing season for the club. But we believe in ourselves, we believe that we can beat anybody on our day.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham captain Son Hueng-min spoke of his desire to make history by winning his first major European final with the club when Spurs face Manchester United for the Europa League on Wednesday.

Son, who will be entering the last year of his contract next season, is determined to get his first and only trophy since joining the club in 2015.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/15/45/52/01/ED_PYR_1545521_20250520190446.mp4
Lifestyle

Mazraoui calls premier league season “Shitty” ahead of Europa League Final

Maravi Post Reporter

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui has delivered a candid assessment of the club’s turbulent season, bluntly labelling their Premier League campaign as “shitty” while pinning hopes on a Europa League triumph to salvage pride.

Speaking at the club’s media day ahead of next week’s Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao, the Moroccan international didn’t hold back.

“Europa League season will be a big success, but the Premier League season will be shitty,” Mazraoui said. “That’s just the reality. Of course, in the end, you might have a trophy, but the Premier League is the main competition — it’s every week, week in, week out, and that’s what people judge you on.”

Mazraoui, who joined United after spells at top European clubs, admitted the losing culture this season has been difficult to digest.

“I come from clubs where I’m not used to losing. I will never get used to losing, wherever I am. So yeah, it’s painful,” he said. “Life is sometimes painful, and you just have to go through it.”

Despite the disappointment, the defender remains upbeat ahead of the high-stakes final, drawing on his World Cup experience with Morocco.

“It’s not my first high-pressure game. I’ve played in a World Cup semi-final,” he said. “This is similar in a way. I love the pressure.”

Manchester United’s domestic woes hit a new low after their 17th league defeat — a 2-0 home loss to West Ham — which left them 16th in the Premier League table. Head coach Ruben Amorim described the season as “embarrassing,” even suggesting it might be the worst team in the club’s history.

United now look to the Europa League final as a last chance at silverware — and Champions League qualification — in what has been a chaotic campaign marked by inconsistency, internal tension, and mounting pressure on players and staff alike.

Source: Africanews

Sports

Arsenal’s Europa League hopes dashed

Lloyd M’bwana
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hits the post with a header
Unai Emery came back to haunt Arsenal as his Villarreal side eliminated the team who sacked him in 2019

LONDON-(MaraviPost)-Arsenal’s Europa League hopes were dashed as Villarreal sealed a semi-final victory that will almost certainly end the Gunners’ unbroken 25-season run of appearing in European competition.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Spain and knowing that victory in this tournament represented their only realistic route back into the Champions League, Mikel Arteta’s side could not find a way past the visitors’ stubborn defence.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck the post with a volley but it was a rare moment of threat in a display strangely passive for large parts.

Nicolas Pepe and Emile Smith Rowe both fired efforts wide early in the second half and Aubameyang hit the post again with a downward header later in the game, but such moments were few and far between.

That the defeat came at the hands of former boss Unai Emery will be especially galling for the Gunners. Emery was sacked in November 2019 after 18 months in charge, ultimately leading to the appointment of Arteta.

With Manchester United seeing off Roma in the other semi-final and Chelsea and Manchester City into the Champions League final, Arsenal’s loss ruins hopes of a Premier League clean sweep of European competitions this season.

Villarreal will face United in Gdansk’s Stadion Miejski on 26 May.

More importantly for the Gunners, though, the result effectively ends their season and their European chances – a big blow to a club that, a little over two weeks ago, was one of 12 prepared to walk away from the Champions League in order to join the proposed European Super League.

Source: BBC