- Man United face Tottenham in Wednesday night’s Europa League final in Bilbao
- Bruno Fernandes believes victory could turn the tide for the struggling Red Devils
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Should Oliver Glasner leave Palace for Spurs?
Bruno Fernandes believes winning the Europa League won’t change Manchester United’s dreadful season, but it could have a big impact on the future at Old Trafford.
United face Tottenham in the San Mames in Bilbao with both clubs looking to atone for a poor domestic campaign by winning a European trophy.
It would also guarantee automatic qualification to next season’s Champions League worth around £100million, which could help to attract new signings in the summer.
‘Every game that you have a chance to win a trophy is very big,’ said Fernandes. ‘But apart from that, every game at this club is massive. This club is so big that from one week you can be the hero and the next one you’re the villain.
‘As a player, we just think of what we have ahead of us and what we have ahead of us is a chance to get our hands on a trophy. It won’t change the past, it won’t affect what the past has done to us either. We know in the Premier League we haven’t been as good as we want, and all the other cups the same.
‘But what can affect is the future. Obviously winning a competition gives you a lot of things. In this case you get a place in the Champions League, you get a lot of revenue for the club and you get more players wanting to come to the club.
Bruno Fernandes admits that winning the Europa League would not make up for a poor season
Joshua Zirkzee (centre) and his Man United team-mates familiarise themselves with Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium 24 hours before their Europa League final against Tottenham
Ruben Amorim knows winning the Europa League would be worth around £100m to Man United
‘I think that at this club it doesn’t change much in that aspect because I think every player wants to play for Man United, and it’s a thing that will never change because the name of this club speaks for itself.
‘But the main thing for us is to focus on what we have ahead of us: that is a massive final against a team that we know very well, but in a competition that is very different to the Premier League, so it’s going to be a completely different game.’
United are returning to the stadium where they beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the first leg of their semi-final earlier this month, but Fernandes is expecting a different kind of challenge from Spurs.
‘Obviously, the context is very different,’ he added. ‘We played against a team that hadn’t suffered many goals. Being able to score three goals here is not very common. The atmosphere in the stadium was incredible. It was one of the best environments I’ve played in. Obviously, tomorrow I’ll be happier to have more United fans to help us and to put everything in the game to get the most positive result, which is to win this final.
‘We want to be at the top of everything, not only the Europa League, not only the Premier League, we want to be at the top of the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, everything we are involved in. This club needs to be fighting for everything we have ahead of us.
‘Tomorrow we have a big chance in a competition where our aim since the beginning of the season was being in Bilbao in the final, and everything we have to focus on is that we have a big game, a big final and a big opportunity.’
Fernandes can become the first United captain to lift a trophy three seasons in a row, but he isn’t concerned about personal glory.
‘I’m not here thinking that I’m going to be one of the captains lifting the European trophy,’ he said. ‘It’s a very good feeling, 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 because everyone will have time to lift the trophy one at a time or whatever. The main thing is the red shirts lifting the trophy.’
