Manchester United have little to take away from their painful Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
The result marks the end of their season, as Ruben Amorim’s squad is now officially out of contention for any European competition.
Even a Champions League spot wouldn’t have solved all of United’s problems, with the team needing significant changes during the off-season. ..Continue Reading
However, without the financial boost that comes with competing at the highest level in Europe, rebuilding the squad will be far more challenging.
One unexpected silver lining for United comes from a recent UEFA rule change.
This season, UEFA competitions underwent a major overhaul, shifting from traditional group stages to a league phase.
Additionally, teams eliminated from the Champions League no longer drop into the Europa League, and a change in the seeding system has altered how teams are ranked.
Previously, the Europa League winners were placed in Pot One for the Champions League draw, but that is no longer the case.
Now, the winners are ranked based on their coefficient, just like most other teams in the competition.
This adjustment could make things more difficult for Tottenham, as they will face tougher opponents in the Champions League than they would have under the old system.
While this change doesn’t offer much consolation for United, who would have preferred to be in the competition rather than watching from the sidelines, Amorim remains optimistic.
He believes the extra time on the training ground could be beneficial as the team looks to improve for the next campaign.
Speaking after Man United suffered the 1-0 loss in northern Spain, the Portuguese coach said: “We have two plans even for the market and we need to understand that is tough for a club like us not to be in the Champions League. But we have to use the other side.
“So if we have more time, we have more time to think during the week and be better in the Premier League, that will be our focus.”
United’s season will officially come to an end when they host Aston Villa on Sunday. The 20-time English champions are guaranteed to finish inside the bottom half.
