Ruben Amorim does not believe that it is necessary for Manchester United to qualify for the Champions League, although he hopes that winning the Europa League can give them following the following season.
United has passed their worst domestic season since he was relegated in 1973-74 of the First Division, 16th in the Premier League with one more match.
The 18 League native of the Red Devils in 2024-25 are their most, because they have suffered 20 on their way to that relegation, and since the beginning of April they have collected the least points of each Premier League club (two of eight games).
In addition to a chance to save silverware from a torrid campaign, the Europa League final of Wednesday versus Tottenham United could offer a route to the Champions League before 2025-26.
However, Amorim does not think that the pressure of qualifying for that competition should influence the preparations for United, and claims that the Red Devils are large enough to go without it.
Instead, he thinks about the positivity that a trophy could bring for his first full campaign that was in charge.
The former sporty CP boss said to reporters: “I came from a club where you should be in the Champions League to survive and maintain players.
“This is not the case here. Our club can have income without the Champions League. It is a huge club with many fans around the world. It is a big brand.
“We just have to be focused and do things in the right way.”
Amorim could only become the third manager who won a large trophy in his first season responsible for United, after Jose Mourinho in 2016-17 (EFL Cup and Europa League) and Erik ten Hag in 2022-23 (EFL Cup).
He could also only become the third manager who won a major European title with an English club while he was 40 years old or younger, after Howard Kendall (Cup Winners' Cup 1984-85 with Everton, 38) and Gianluca Vialli (1997-98 Cup Winners Cup with Chelsea, 33).
Asked what winning the trophy would do for the Red Devils, he said: “Many people will look at our team in a different way, because winning a European title is really important, but nothing will change our season.
“The players know, the fans know, the staff knows. But winning a European title can help us to have that feeling that can help us build for the future.
“There are many things we have to change in our club; the way we do everything in the week in Carrington, the recruitment, the academy … I think we should improve.
“It is difficult to point out one thing and that will not be resolved by winning a cup. We have bigger things to deal with to bring this club back to the top.
“We have a lot to do in our club, not just winning tomorrow.”
One game to go #uel pic.twitter.com/jwassshaqd
– UEFA Europa League (@europaleague) May 20, 2025
Captain Bruno Fernandes repeated those thoughts and said: “It will not change the past, but can it influence the future? Probably yes.
“Winning a match gives a lot of things: income for the club, a place in the Champions League, more players who want to come to the club, although every player wants to play for this club because of the name.
“But the most important thing is to concentrate on what we have for us, a huge final against a team that we know very well. It will be a very different game than the Premier League.”