Ruben Amorim said he sympathised with upcoming Europa League final opponent Ange Postecoglou, acknowledging both managers are “struggling”.
Amorim’s Manchester United will play Postecoglou’s Tottenham in the Europa League final on May 21, offering both sides a chance at silverware and a route into the Champions League after dismal Premier League seasons.
United and Tottenham are 15th and 16th in the table respectively, but both English clubs negotiated tough semi-finals to reach Bilbao, with Amorim’s team beating Athletic Club and Spurs progressing past Bodo/Glimt.
Spurs have beaten United three times this season but Amorim said both teams, and managers, will go into the final with a similar perspective.
“Every game has its history,” Amorim in his post-match press conference. “So, we lost the three last games, we can win this one.
“So, if you look at the odds, we are closer to win than to lose. Both teams are going to play like all or nothing in this in this kind of game. It’s quite similar.
“The position of the coach is quite similar. I know that Ange (Postecoglou) has one more year. It is different the context, but we are struggling, both of us.
“So, I don’t know what is going to happen – that is a good thing and a bad thing with this team. I never know. I will try to prepare the game, but I think we are improving.”
Postecoglou meanwhile hit back at critics who he said were trying to “diminish” Tottenham’s achievement of reaching the Europa League final.
With a Champions League place on the line for the winner, Postecoglou said a lot of people would be “upset” at the idea of either United or Spurs qualifying for the Champions League, but he said he didn’t care.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, speaking as Fifa’s chief of global football development, has criticised Uefa’s rule of the Europa League winner gaining Champions League qualification regardless of where they finish domestically.
“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,” Postecoglou said in his press conference.
“I mean, who cares if we’re struggling in the league? Why is that important? If it’s so easy to get to a final, then why doesn’t everyone who finishes in the top three do it?
“We understand our league form hasn’t been great. We understand the struggles we’ve had. A lot of them are because of the situation we’ve been in. But how does that diminish the achievement of getting to a final?
“I couldn’t care less who’s struggling and who’s not. I think both us and United have earned the right to be there.”
