Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has identified the club he believes can thwart the Red Devils from clinching the 2025 Europa League title.
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Mourinho, 61, guided United to a Europa League victory in 2017, where they defeated Ajax 2-0 in the final with goals from Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. ..Continue Reading
This season, he hopes his Fenerbahçe team can replicate his past success, having previously won the 2003 edition with Porto, known then as the UEFA Cup, by overcoming Celtic 3-2.
However, Fenerbahçe currently sits in 21st place out of 36 teams in the group stage, with two wins, two draws, and two losses in this year’s competition.
Their current standing would allow them to secure a play-off spot as an ‘unseeded’ team, pitting them against a ‘seeded’ team that finished between ninth and 16th in the group stage.
United is currently seventh, having won three and drawn three of their matches this season.
The Premier League side is set to face Rangers in the Europa League at Old Trafford on Thursday, January 23.
Despite United being the favorites to win the 2025 edition of the tournament, Mourinho has placed his confidence in another club to possibly emerge victorious.
“What I can say is one thing are the results that Manchester United are having and another thing is the potential of the team,” he said during a press conference in October 2024.
“The potential of the team is high, I think the two draws in the Europa League doesn’t favour us but also doesn’t make a huge difference.
“At the end of the day, this new format will always allow that the top teams are going to qualify. No problem for a top team to lose three or four matches out of eight because then they will win three or four, they will make 12 points easily and they qualify, so 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, I think it’s easy – Man United and Tottenham.”
Of course, the Portuguese was the manager of Spurs between 2019 and 2021. Ange Postecoglou’s side are now ninth in the group phase.
“The 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,” he added.
