Man United missed out on a first European trophy since 2017 and Champions League qualification for next season after losing 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
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Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim cuts a dejected figure.
Ruben Amorim's side were beaten in Bilbao.(Image: Alex Pantling - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images.)
Manchester United have missed out on at least £15.7million in prize money next season after losing 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday night's Europa League final.
Brennan Johnson netted the only goal of what was a lacklustre final at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, turning hope a scrappy finish shortly before half-time.
United huffed and puffed in the second half in the hope of getting themselves back into the game, but their efforts were to no avail. The closest they came was when Rasmus Hojlund saw a header spectacularly cleared off the line by Micky van de Ven.
As a result, United will now go without any form of European football next season for the first time since the 2014/15 campaign. Victory over Spurs would have seen them qualify for next season's Champions League.
Had United got the job done in Bilbao, they would have entered the competition at the first stage, meaning they have missed out on the £15.7m they would have been awarded just for qualifying for the league phase.
Had United adapted to life back in Europe's premier club competition and made sharp progress, each point they earned would have been of financial value. For example, each league phase victory in the Champions League this season was worth £1.77m and each draw was worth £590,000.
Automatic qualification to the last-16 of the competition earned clubs £9.3m this term. Furthermore, each position in the league phase table was worth £232,000, meaning Young Boys, who finished 36th and bottom of the standings, earned that figure with an additional £232,000 added for every higher ranking following the conclusion of the first stage of the competition.
It means the financial benefits of competing and succeeding in the Champions League are much stronger than they are in the Europa League.
However, United will now go without European football next season, meaning they will have to focus on the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
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