Manchester United have the chance to secure silverware and a place back in the Champions League should they beat Spurs next week but won’t go over the top in their celebrations
Manchester United’s season hinges on their Europa League final showdown with Tottenham Hotspur. But the Red Devils will not go all out in their celebrations should they win the competition, having already binned the idea of a parade.
The Red Devils will take on their Premier League rivals in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21. And despite a potential third trophy in as many seasons being on offer, the real prize for United is a golden ticket into the Champions League and the potential riches that come with it.
But even if United manage to see off Spurs and secure the Europa League title, it appears that their celebrations will be more of a lowkey affair. According to The Times, there will be no open-top bus parade through the streets of Manchester, with a barbecue instead planned at United’s Carrington training facility should they be victorious.
Plans for post-final celebrations have to be put in place by clubs in advance and United’s scheduling has proven difficult to organise a city-wide parade. United take on Aston Villa at Old Trafford in their final league game of the season just days after the final.
They will then jet off to Asia for a post-season tour with a game in Kuala Lumpur scheduled for May 28, before another clash two days later. Players are then expected to report for international duty straight away, meaning the chance of a parade is remote.
Instead, a lowkey affair will be held at Carrington for players, staff and families to celebrate. Spurs, however, are expected to hold a parade should they clinch the Europa League trophy.
United have not hosted a parade since 2013 and Sir Alex Ferguson’s last Premier League title success. Since then, they have won the Europa League, the League Cup and two FA Cups. And while victory in Bilbao would provide some welcome respite towards the end of a calamitous campaign, United boss Ruben Amorim insists a trophy will not salvage the season.
“Everybody knows it’s really important for our season [but] we know nothing is going to save our season,” he said. “This can be huge, winning a trophy, getting in the Champions League to play European [elite level] games next year: [it] could change a lot of things in our club in the summer. [But] it’s not the most important thing.
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“Of course people are going to look in a different way for this season, especially at the coach. But it’s something more in the core of our club [that requires addressing].
“We need to change a lot of things and need to be consistent. Europa League will not change our problems – it’s going to give us Champions League next year, more money to spend, but the problems are still there.
“We have to change the minds of our fans with consistency, good decisions, good recruitment, good academy. This is what we need to change to take our club back to the top. This [winning the Europa League] is more of a shortcut to go to the European Cup games. Nothing more. The problems we need to solve in a different way with more time and we’re really clear on that.”