Manchester United take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on Wednesday night, with the clubs sitting 16th and 17th respectively in the Premier League table.
Bruno Fernandes, alongside Harry Maguire and Ruben Amorim, spoke to the press on the eve of the game, and talked about the impact winning this trophy could have.
Every game you have a chance to win a trophy is very big but part of that is every game at this club is massive. As Harry has just said, this club is so big, from one week you can be the hero and, the next one, you’re the villain.
As players, you just think about what we have ahead of us and what we have ahead of us is the chance to get our hands on the trophy. It won’t change the past. It won’t affect what the past has done for us either but what i can affect is the future. Probably, yes, winning a trophy gives a lot of things. In this case, a place in the Champions League and a lot of revenue for the club. It gets, obviously, more players wanting to come to the club. But I think this club doesn’t change much in that aspect because I think every player wants to play for Manchester United. This is a thing that will never change. The name of this club speaks for itself. But the main thing, of course, is what is ahead of us and that is a massive final, against a team we know very well. But in a competition different to the Premier League so it’s going to be a completely different game.
Fernandes was also asked about what it meant to him to potentially be the fifth United captain to lift a European trophy.
We talk about the Europa League and the Europa League is everything in our minds. We play the final tomorrow and we can be successful in this competition. Obviously, I know the Premier League has not been as good as we want. And all the other cups the same because our aim is always to get to the end of the competitions and win the trophies.
Obviously, as you said, I’m not here thinking I’m one of the captains lifting a European trophy. Obviously, it’s a very good feeling and I’m very proud of it but, at the same time, for me, the main thing is that our team gets to bring the trophy back to Manchester. Everyone will have time to lift the trophy, one at a time, or whatever, the main thing is that it is the red shirts lifting the trophy.
————
The RoM Manchester United 2024-25 season preview is now available. It includes articles from the country’s best football writers about our expectations for the season ahead and our brightest talents, as well as proposed transfer business and which youth players to keep an eye out for. All profit goes to The Christie so please support this fantastic cause.