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Ange Postecoglou: Tottenham boss hits back at critics as Spurs reach Europa League final

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"If it's so easy to get to a final, then why doesn't everyone who finishes in the top three do it?"

In Norway, boss Ange Postecoglou took aim at Tottenham's critics after they reached the Europa League final as he remained on course to continue his record of winning a trophy in his second season.

Spurs eased past Bodo/Glimt 2-0 in the second leg of their semi-final in the Arctic Circle to complete a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday.

Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro sent Spurs to the final, where they will face Manchester United in Bilbao on 21 May.

Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League after a poor domestic season and are chasing their first major trophy since 2008.

Postecoglou has come under huge criticism for Tottenham's form, despite losing a number of senior players to injury. They won in Norway without James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall - both out for the season - with Son Heung-min also missing.

At times he has been mocked after stating, accurately, he wins trophies during his second season at a club.

In the Aspmyra Stadion, minutes after seeing his team reach the final, he came out fighting again.

"It's going to upset a lot of people isn't it," Postecoglou said. "The debate's now raging. The latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win, they're just going to take a team photo because we're not worthy.

"I mean, who cares if we're struggling in the league? It's a separate thing. It's got nothing to do with league form.

"I couldn't care less who's struggling and who's not. I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there."

It is Tottenham's sixth European final - their last was in 2019 when they lost to Liverpool in the Champions League.

Since winning the 2008 Carabao Cup Spurs have lost three finals and been beaten in three semi-finals. They have also reached four FA Cup semi finals without progressing.

The club has not lifted the Europa League in 41 years, since beating Anderlecht to win what was the Uefa Cup at the time.

"I've said all along that this is important," Postecoglou continued. "What's happening now is people are fearing that - that it actually might happen, and let's see how we can tear it down somehow and diminish it somehow by saying it's been a poor season and we don't deserve this or we don't deserve that, or somehow comparing us to Man United.

"Maybe if we had Man United's success then maybe I'd have a different view. So, of course it's massive. Of course it is, because you have to frame it against what this club has been through over the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have been through.

"We've given them some real hope and something to dream about that we can do something special this year."

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Man Utd v Tottenham in Europa League final: All-English final in Bilbao with Champions League on line

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Man Utd v Tottenham in Europa League final: All-English final in Bilbao with Champions League on line - BBC
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Manchester United and Tottenham will meet in an all-English Europa League final on 21 May.

Ruben Amorim's United saw off Spanish side Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate in their semi-final to progress, while Spurs got the better of Norwegians Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate.

United are looking to win the Europa League for the second time in eight years, while Tottenham are bidding to end a 41-year wait for European success.

It is the sixth all-English final in any major European competition - with half of them involving Spurs.

It also means there are six English teams in next season's Champions League.

Tottenham are looking to win a first trophy of any kind in 17 years and they will fancy themselves as favourites for the game in Bilbao, having beaten United three times already this season.

Spurs won 3-0 at Old Trafford and 1-0 at home in the Premier League and also triumphed 4-3 in the League Cup.

"If you think in the odds it's hard for the club to lose four times in a row," United boss Ruben Amorim said. "We can think that way."

Former Tottenham midfielder Glenn Hoddle agreed that it would be difficult for Spurs to win again.

"To beat a team four times also from the Premier League in one season is really tough," Hoddle said on TNT Sports.

He added: "It will be a titanic battle. Spurs have had the upper hand at the moment but United will be looking for revenge."

United last won the Europa League in 2016-17, when Jose Mourinho was manager. They lost the Europa League final 11-10 on penalties to Villarreal in 2021 when David de Gea missed his spot kick for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.

Despite United's poor season domestically, ex-Red Devils midfielder Paul Scholes is confident his former side will rise to the occasion in the final.

He said: "For some reason, the history of this club is almost like Real Madrid at times - when they aren't playing that well they can still go on and win European cups.

"Manchester United's history tells me they will win it, they know how to win trophies, Tottenham don't."

Manchester United and Tottenham have struggled domestically this season as they sit 15th and 16th respectively in the Premier League.

However, a European trophy will ensure the campaign will ultimately be viewed as a successful one.

"It's going to upset a lot of people isn't it?" said Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou.

"Neither us will get a trophy if we win, we're just going to take a team picture.

"Who cares if we're struggling in the league?

"This club and others have finished first, second and third in the Premier League and haven't made finals. I couldn't care less who is struggling and who's not.

"Both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there. I'm looking forward to it and it should be a great game."

Spurs' impressive record over United extends further back than just this season.

They have won four of the past six meetings in all competitions, with United last beating them 2-0 in the Premier League in October 2022.

But data analysts Opta have made United slight favourites to triumph in the final.

Their supercomputer gives the Red Devils a 50.7% chance of lifting the Europa League trophy, with Tottenham at 49.3%.

"I think the final is poised to be absolutely brilliant," former Manchester City midfielder Izzy Christiansen said on TNT Sports.

"Both teams have a point to prove and have many parallels in the Premier League this season and I can't wait."

The winners of the Europa League go into the following season's Champions League, regardless of where they finish domestically.

So a United v Spurs final guarantees one of them a return to the mega-riches of European football's top table.

That rule is handy for United and Spurs, who are both more than 20 points behind fifth place.

Without winning the Europa League, neither of them will be in any European competition next season.

It would not have any knock-on effect on any other English teams - with the top five guaranteed a Champions League spot through the league.

That fifth spot came as a result of English clubs' performances in Europe this season.

The first Uefa Cup in 1971-72 was between Tottenham and Wolves in a two-legged final.

Spurs won the first leg 2-1 at Molineux, with Martin Chivers scoring twice, and drew 1-1 at White Hart Lane two weeks later.

It would take 36 years for the next all-English final, which was in the 2007-08 Champions League as Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard traded goals before a shootout that is best remembered for John Terry's miss after slipping.

There were two all-English finals in 2018-19.

Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League in Madrid, with goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi.

And Chelsea saw off Arsenal 4-1 in Baku in the Europa League, with Eden Hazard netting twice in his final game for the club.

Two years later Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Champions League, with Kai Havertz scoring the only goal in Porto.

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Europa League & Conference League LIVE: Man Utd, Tottenham & Chelsea - scores, radio & updates

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Bodo/Glimt 0-0 Tottenham (agg 1-3)

Nearly half an hour gone and it's a very professional performance from Spurs. They haven't given Bodo/Glimt a sniff so far.

As it stands, Spurs are on their way to Bilbao.

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Chelsea 0-0 Djurgarden (agg 4-1)

Tyrique George shoots from the edge of the box but it is palmed away by Jacob Rinne.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is next to take a shot and Rinne is there again to make an important save.

Positive play from Chelsea.

'Good goalkeeping from Onana'

Man Utd 0-0 Athletic Bilbao

Phil Jones

Former Manchester United defender on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It's always nice to see a goalkeeper come out and be commanding like that. Sometimes they can get flustered collecting crosses but that was good goalkeeping from Onana.

YELLOW CARD

Bodo/Glimt 0-0 Tottenham (agg 1-3)

Kasper Hogh is shown the first yellow card of the night after giving away a foul and launching the ball away in frustration.

Nice handshake with the ref afterwards to say sorry.

'Another silly free kick'

Man Utd 0-0 Athletic Bilbao

Izzy Christiansen

Former England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Berenguer is going nowhere. he is going off the pitch and Casemiro just needs to hold him up. Another silly free-kick that Manchester United have now have to defend.

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Bodo/Glimt 0-0 Tottenham (agg 1-3)

Ole Didrick Blomberg is a very lucky boy as he loses the ball deep in his own half to Micky van de Ven but the ref blows his whistle for a foul.

Got away with one there.

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Man Utd 0-0 Athletic Bilbao (agg 3-0)

Casemiro wrestles Alex Berenguer to the ground. Athletic free-kick on the left wing. This isn't pretty from United at all.

Andre Onana catches the free-kick when it comes in.

YELLOW CARD

Man Utd 0-0 Athletic Bilbao (agg 3-0)

Noussair Mazraoui commits a foul and the referee lets play go on before coming back to book the United defender.

Play stopped when Rasmus Holjund handled the ball when he was on a promising attack.

'Dorgu is already going to ground'

Man Utd 0-0 Athletic Bilbao

Phil Jones

Former Manchester United defender on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

I think Dorgu is already going to ground before the defender makes contact with him. It's not a penalty. He made it look more than it was.

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Bodo/Glimt 0-0 Tottenham (agg 1-3)

That's really good striker play from Dominic Solanke as he wins the ball high and stop in front of Patrick Berg.

Berg then runs through the back of Solanke and Spurs have a free-kick in a tasty position.

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Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham: Stig Johansen on Europa League semi-final

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Bodo/Glimt record scorer Stig Johansen believes Tottenham are in for a shock in their Europa League semi-final second leg.

Tottenham hold a 3-1 lead before Thursday's game in north Norway, 75 miles inside the Arctic Circle, as they look to reach the final in Bilbao.

Bodo beat Lazio in the quarter-finals, winning 2-0 at home, and have also beaten Twente, Porto and Braga in this season's competition.

Former Norway striker Johansen, who is one of Bodo's all-time top goalscorers and also had a brief spell at Southampton in 1997-98, expects the hosts and their plastic pitch to make life uncomfortable for Spurs.

"Tottenham are going to get a real surprise, I hope," he told BBC Sport in Norway.

"They will find it difficult. Tottenham may start well but they will struggle afterwards. Bodo/Glimt are very fit and if you don't get into the duels close - Tottenham players are stronger than us - on that pitch, I don't think they are going to catch up.

"Stay away from one to ones because physically Tottenham are stronger.

"We have to score very quickly, in the first 20, and then we go from there. What are Tottenham doing? Are they up to the challenge?

"It's fun to say - are Tottenham up to the challenge at Bodo/Glimt? But Bodo are so good at home. It will be a new world for the Tottenham players. We have seen a lot of teams come to Bodo and it seems they are playing in our division.

"Good luck to Tottenham."

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Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham: What awaits Spurs in the Arctic Circle?

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What awaits Tottenham in the Arctic Circle? Video, 00:02:03What awaits Tottenham in the Arctic Circle?

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Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham: What awaits Spurs in Norway for Europa League semi-final second leg

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When Lazio travelled to Bodo/Glimt for their Europa League quarter-final first leg last month they were greeted by a blizzard and a stadium covered in a blanket of snow.

Tractors with ploughs cleared the pitch so the game could be played, but the Italians still found the freezing conditions and artificial surface difficult as they were beaten by their Norwegian hosts 2-0.

They are not the first side to have struggled in Bodo - which is located 200km north of the Arctic Circle - and both Jose Mourinho and current Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou will no doubt still have nightmares about the defeats they had there, while in charge of Roma and Celtic respectively.

Now it is Spurs' turn to try to deal with the conditions in Thursday's semi-final second-leg tie.

Postecoglou's side will look to book their place in the Europa League final following a 3-1 first-leg success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

As the Lazio players experienced - and Mourinho's Roma too in 2021 with a 6-1 humbling in their Europa Conference League tie - playing football in Bodo can be a real test.

Sub-zero temperatures greeted them, but the good news for Tottenham is the weather is expected to be far more palatable for them.

Current forecasts suggest it is going to be around 5C and dry - so not a million miles away from what they are used to in England.

But other factors could provide a challenge.

Bodo's coastal location, coupled with the open design of the 8,500 capacity Aspmyra Stadion, means it can be very windy during matches.

"We are not the sexiest team to meet," Bodo/Glimt defender Jostein Gundersen told BBC World Service.

"It is not the biggest stadium, it is cold, it is windy. We have an advantage there because it is not the most fantastic place to play.

"We use the weather and the cold to our advantage. It is really difficult for the other teams to come here.

"It is not a problem for us if it is a little snowy or cold, hopefully it can scare the opposition a little bit."

The weather may prove favourable for Tottenham, but they will still have to deal with playing on an artificial pitch.

For teams used to real grass they can find that the ball behaves differently on synthetic turf - it can move along the surface quicker and bounce differently. Bodo/Glimt's players will be used to this, but Tottenham's will not.

"It is different football [on an artificial pitch]," said midfielder Dejan Kulusevski.

"It is a different pitch, but in life, you have to do what you have to do to find a way to win and we have got to do that."

Bodo defender Odin Bjortuft said: "Of course, playing here at home is a big advantage for us because I don't think a lot of teams are prepared for what's coming.

"The ball goes really fast when you play passes and it's more difficult for defenders reaching attackers and getting contact with us. That's what we benefit from in these games.

"It's a big difference between artificial and grass in many ways, but the main key is that the ball goes so fast."

Tottenham have already played on a similar surface this season - winning 3-0 at Tamworth in the FA Cup third round in January - and that will serve as a reminder of just how tough they found it.

Spurs struggled for 90 minutes against the National League side, but finally managed to overcome them in extra time, although they needed an own goal from Tamworth's Nathan Tshikuna to break the deadlock after 101 minutes.

In the Europa League this season, Porto, Besiktas, FC Twente and Olympiakos are among the teams to have come to Bodo and lost - highlighting the task Tottenham face.

Spurs, however, may take heart from fellow Premier League side and rivals Arsenal, who came to Bodo three years ago in the group stage of the Europa League and won 1-0 thanks to Bukayo Saka's goal.

However, Bjortuft said his side have come a long way since that encounter.

"I wasn't part of the team but we spoke a lot about this experience," he added.

"A key factor for us is that the Arsenal game was early in Bodo/Glimt's story for the last years. After the Arsenal game, we had a lot of European matches, big matches outside of Norway.

"I think we are a much more adult team and we learn a lot before this game and especially from the Arsenal game from a few years ago."

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Tottenham Hotspur: Ange Postecoglou questions Arsene Wenger over Champions League qualification

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Ange Postecoglou says "Spurs does crazy things to people" in response to Arsene Wenger's suggestion that the winners of the Europa League should not qualify for the Champions League.

Former Arsenal manager Wenger, now Fifa's chief of global football development, has questioned why the winners of the Europa League qualify for next year's Champions League.

Postecoglou's Tottenham have a 3-1 lead going into Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg at Bodo/Glimt's Aspmyra Stadion.

But they are 16th in the Premier League table, while Manchester United - who have a 3-0 lead over Athletic Club in the other last-four tie - are a point ahead in 15th. The winners will face each other in Bilbao on 21 May.

The pair will not qualify for Europe through the league but Postecoglou does not understand Wenger's argument.

"It's a debate that's been raging for years, at least the last eight days…I've never heard it before," said the Australian in Norway. "Spurs does crazy things to people.

"You put that club into any sentence or any issue and invariably they all come out and try to diminish it as much as they can.

"It's Spurs mate, they love it.

"It's competition rules. Why wasn't it an issue before and is it an issue now? What's the difference? Last year fifth [in the Premier League] didn't get you into the Champions League, this year it does. What does that mean?"

Uefa amended its rules in 2014 to allow the Europa League winners to qualify for the following season's Champions League tournament, but Wenger disagreed with the policy.

Asked if this was "right", he told BeIN Sports: "No, they should qualify automatically for the Europa League again but not necessarily for the Champions League - especially when you're in the Premier League where already five teams qualify. I think it's something [for Uefa] to think about and to review.

"On the other hand, people will tell you that to keep the Europa League focused, interesting and motivated you need to give them that prize [of qualifying for the Champions League]."

Tottenham face Bodo in Norway without James Maddison, with Postecoglou confirming the England midfielder is out for the season with the knee injury he suffered in the first leg.

Striker Dominic Solanke has travelled and should be fit after being forced off in the 3-1 success with a quad problem.

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Tottenham news: Injured James Maddison a doubt for pre-season

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison is a doubt for the start of pre-season with a serious knee injury suffered against Bodo/Glimt last week.

BBC Sport reported on Monday that Maddison was almost certain to miss the final weeks of the season - that will include a Europa League final if they avoid defeat at Bodo/Glimt on Thursday - as Spurs determined the full extent of the injury.

And it is understood Maddison's recovery time is expected to take up to three months, which leaves the attacker battling to be fit for the start of Spurs' preparations for the 2025-26 campaign.

Positively, Maddison does not require surgery to repair his injured knee and if all goes according to plan with his rehabilitation, the 28-year-old will be fit for the start of next season.

It is a major blow to Maddison, who has suffered suspected ligament damage, and Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou as Spurs enter the crucial climax to their campaign.

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Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur chase Europa League final spot - who needs a trophy more?

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Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are favourites to reach the Europa League final after both sides won the first leg of their semi-finals.

United host Athletic Club having won 3-0 in Bilbao, while Spurs visit Norway with a 3-1 lead over Bode/Glimt.

Which club needs to win silverware more?

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European build-up: Man Utd news conference ahead of Bilbao tie

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Maresca would consider it a failure not to win

Chelsea v Djurgarden (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Nizaar Kinsella

BBC Sport football news reporter

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca thinks Chelsea, with all their financial advantages, need to win the Conference League this season.

Effectively, his side have avoided the only other team with anywhere near comparable resources in Fiorentina or Real Betis but one of the two will face Chelsea in the upcoming final in Wroclaw, Poland.

Maresca has previously won the Championship at Leicester in his short managerial career.

He also memorably won the Europa League twice in back-to-back season, beating Middlesbrough in the initial final, as well as winning the Super Cup during a glorious spell as a player at Spanish club Sevilla.

Bodo boss plays down defender's Spurs 'collapse' comments

Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Nick Mashiter

BBC Sport football news reporter at the Aspmyra Stadion

Bodo/Glimt head coach Kjetil Knutsen has dismissed fears defender Fredrik Sjovold has given Tottenham any extra edge.

The full-back criticised Spurs after the first leg of their Europa League semi-final last week - which Tottenham won 3-1 - and believes the hosts will be able to exploit the visitors, ahead of their second leg in Norway on Thursday.

"I think their pressure will collapse pretty quickly. Then we can cause trouble," Sjovold told the VG newspaper.

“It is a very good team and they are good with the ball, but the pressure is no better than an okay Eliteserien team. It is possible to play it out.”

But, speaking in his pre-match press conference, Knutsen played down the comments.

He said: "That was an inexperienced player who didn’t mean it like that. He probably felt what we wanted to do against teams who press like Tottenham, we should be doing better.

"Put that down to inexperience. We’ve not spoken about it but I trust the inner justice in the player group."

'Quiet confidence' in Bodo for club's 'biggest night'

Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Nick Mashiter

BBC Sport football news reporter at the Aspmyra Stadion

Hosts Bodo/Glimt usually have room for 20 in their press box at the Aspmyra Stadion but need to install 50 more seats and desks, such is the interest in the game 75 miles into the Arctic Circle.

Bodo are the defending Norwegian champions, having won the Tippeligaen in four of the last five years, and have beaten Twente, Lazio, Braga and Porto in the Europa League this season.

It is recognised their semi-final second leg with Tottenham is the biggest game in their history but the club does not need telling that, they are becoming used to big occasions - even if this is their first European semi-final.

Their Aspmyra Stadion may only hold just over 8,000, with a main stand built in 1966, and it is a world away from the stylish Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but it means there is a quiet confidence Bodo can overturn the two-goal first-leg deficit.

How a toasting a Tottenham win could 'hit the wallet hard'

Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Nick Mashiter

BBC Sport football news reporter at the Aspmyra Stadion

There's a growing atmosphere in Bodo, more and more yellow flags are appearing in the windows of the town's buildings.

They are braced for a big night against Tottenham on Thursday. On Tuesday the local sports bar was quiet, those who were in cheered Inter's extraordinary Champions League semi-final win over Barcelona.

Yet staff were warning that if any fans without a ticket for the Europa League semi-final second leg wanted a seat they would need to arrive six hours before kick off.

When Lazio's fans descended for their quarter-final first leg last month - which Bodo won 2-0 - the bar took almost 1m krone, just over £70,000, on the day of the game. Although at almost £10 a pint it will hit the wallet hard.

A tale of two Man Utds

Man Utd v Athletic Bilbao (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Manchester United

While Manchester United suffered yet another setback in the Premier League on Sunday, they are two games away from securing major silverware in Europe.

Ruben Amorim fielded United's joint-third youngest XI in Premier League history, with an average age of 22 years and 270 days, and fell to a 4-3 defeat at Brentford.

They remain 15th in the table with only 39 points from 35 matches and are winless in six league games.

But the Red Devils have enjoyed contrasting fortunes in the Europa League this season.

While they are 24 points off fifth place and Champions League qualification via the league, reaching Europe's top-tier club tournament is looking more and more likely through the Europa League.

Amorim's side are yet to suffer a defeat in the competition and overcame Real Sociedad and Lyon to reach the last four. They will now hope to confirm a title showdown with either Tottenham or Bodo/Glimt.

Man Utd's semi-final record

Man Utd v Athletic Bilbao (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Simon Stone

BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

Manchester United advancing from a European semi-final should not come as much surprise.

Dating back to 2008, this is United's seventh last-four clash.

They have only lost once, against Sevilla in the COVID-affected 2020 Europa League.

Only two of the previous five finals ended in victory though, against Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final and Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final under Jose Mourinho.

Providing Ruben Amorim's side complete their job tomorrow, United will be reaching their first European final since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were beaten on penalties by Unai Emery's Villarreal in the Europa League final in Gdansk in 2021.

'We can be worst team in Premier League history with a European title'

Man Utd v Athletic Bilbao (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Manchester United

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim looking back at his comments that this is the worst team in the club's history: "You have to see the quotes in the moment. Things can change. If you look at the Premier League, I think we are the worst [Manchester United] team in terms of results since I arrived. That is my idea.

"At the end of this season, we can be the worst team in Premier League history with a European title. So it will change nothing. We know this season was really disappointing for everybody. Nothing is going to change that.

"In that moment, sometimes I have to think a little bit more, but I felt that and I still feel that this season was the worst, I don't know in history, but maybe the last 15 years. I don't know."

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There was an underlying debate between readers throughout that news conference about the rights and wrongs of Europa League winners earning a Champions League place.

Ruben Amorim had his say there, acknowledging that he believed the champions or best teams in a league should play in the Champions League, but added that he was happy to follow the current rules, as they are.

We have one more line to bring you from Amorim on the club's current plight, and how a European title would not change that...

'Champions League should be for best teams in league'

Man Utd v Athletic Bilbao (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Manchester United

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim on Arsene Wenger's comments that Europa League winners should not qualify for Champions League: "I have nothing to say about that. I know the rules. If people want to change the rules, fine. But these are the rules. And the rule is that if you win the Europa League, you go to the Champions League. I don't think a lot about that.

"I know the Champions League should be for the teams that are champions or the best teams in the league. But they find these ways of promoting this competition, so we just follow the rule.

"So if we cannot go to Champions League with Premier League, we follow the rule and try to do that through Europa League."

'It's a final for us'

Man Utd v Athletic Bilbao (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Manchester United

More from Ruben Amorim on Manchester United's Europa League opponents Athletic Bilbao missing key players, including Nico Williams, Inaki WIlliams and Oihan Sancet, for the second leg of their semi-final: "For us, it doesn't matter. For us, it is the top team of Athletic Bilbao. I understand it is hard to play without key players. But for us, it doesn't matter.

"We need to go to the game - it's a final for us. So we need to go and try to win the game.

'Losing final as manager will hurt more'

Man Utd v Athletic Bilbao (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Manchester United

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim on the prospect of winning the Europa League after losing the 2013-14 final as a player with Benfica: "The meaning is different. As a player, you want to play and enjoy. But when you are manager, you have to win it. Losing the final will hurt even more, especially in this kind of season. So we have to win it.

"For that we need to focus on the semi-final. It's different between player and manager."

'We need to score to go to the final'

Man Utd v Athletic Bilbao (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Manchester United

More from Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim on Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Bilbao: "I watched the first 30 minutes [of the first leg] a lot of time and then forgot the rest. Because you cannot prepare for a game watching 11 against 10.

"I felt [Bilbao] were really intense in the first 30 minutes but most of the opportunities they had were a little bit our fault. We showed to the players that sometimes we might have 30 minutes with a lot of problems and tried to describe why we had so many problems in the first half hour."

On avoiding complacency: "If you look at our team, you cannot say what is going to happen today.

"There are some teams in any league that can understand that a game is going to be like this and they can control the narrative. We cannot do that. So we need to face the game as one more game.

"I think we need to score to go to the next round. That is clearly how we are going to face the game.

"We will also have to suffer a little bit to go to the final and be better in the small details."

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