Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United looks dejected after losing the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Estadio de San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain.Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United looks dejected after losing the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Estadio de San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain.
Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United looks dejected after losing the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Estadio de San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain. | Manchester United via Getty Imag
Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho hit out at being dropped for the Europa League final
The result leaves the Red Devils 16th in the Premier League with no European football. Amorim had hoped to put a tough league campaign behind them with a win in northern Spain but instead it is Spurs who will be able to cast aside their poor league form as they now prepare for 2025-26 Champions League.
Alejandro Garnacho reacts to Europa League final team selection
Speaking to ESPN Argentina, Garnacho said after the game: “I played every round to help the team reach the final, and today I only got 20 minutes… I don’t know. I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next.”
He added: “This season was **** losing the final and not beating anyone in the league.”
The loss to Spurs was United’s first in their Europa League campaign this season. Garnacho had started in 10 of the first 14 games in the Europa League. He scored in the league phase against Bodo/Glimt. He provided an assist against FCSB in the final league phase game and would be credited with a further two assists over two legs against Real Sociedad.
He was involved in one goal in the dramatic quarter-final tie against Lyon, as he provided his fourth and final assist of the Europa League campaign. He was linked with a move away from the club in January and could be offloaded in the summer as United looks to raise funds for new players.
Ruben Amorim justifies selecting Mason Mount over Alejandro Garnacho
Mount has spent a large part of the campaign out with injury with the final only his second start in the competition. He had been introduced off the bench seven times, including the second leg of the semi-final against Athletic Club where he scored twice at Old Trafford to help seal United’s place in the final with a 7-1 win on aggregate.
Ahead of the game, Amorim said: "I feel Mason Mount, in this moment, gives us a different balance because he's really good attacking, but also the way he compacts the team - he is one extra midfielder and you know Tottenham put all the full-backs and midfielders inside with a lot of people overloading that space.
"So my thinking was that, to have possession and to have a right foot in that position is really important, to also have speed on the bench because we have Amad on the other side. We need legs to change the game.”
Afterwards, Amorim was asked if he should have started Garnacho, and responded by pointing to the big chance the forward missed against Athletic Club: “It’s easy to say that now. Who missed the big opportunity in the first half in the semi-final? Garnacho. Football is like that.”
Continue Reading