Rio Ferdinand admitted that he and Paul Scholes “were sitting there” while one thing was going on around them in Manchester United’s Europa League final tie against Tottenham.
The Red Devils’ Europa League dreams were shattered on Wednesday evening after Manchester United fell to a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in the 2025 final in Bilbao.
Brennan Johnson was the difference-maker between the two poorly performing sides and Tottenham led United 1-0 in the first half and going into half-time.
United’s performance against Tottenham was lacklustre and the Red Devils simply could not find the crucial equaliser needed to force the final into extra time.
Ruben Amorim was forced to watch on from the sidelines at the San Mames Stadium amid United trailing Tottenham in their Europa League showdown on Wednesday.
United have failed to salvage their 2024-25 season with silverware and Tottenham walked away with the Europa League trophy thanks to Brennan Johnson’s winner.
The Red Devils will now be without any form of European football for the 2025-26 campaign at Old Trafford under United manager Ruben Amorim.
United only have one match remaining in their abysmal season and the Red Devils will end the campaign with their worst finish in Premier League history.
More United News
READ MORE: Man Utd fans have lot to say about Casemiro after performance vs Tottenham in Europa League final, it’s as ‘simple as that’
Photo by Alex Pantling - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Photo by Alex Pantling – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Rio Ferdinand speaks out on Ruben Amorim after Man Utd’s defeat to Tottenham in the 2025 Europa League final in Bilbao
Rio Ferdinand, who was on punditry for TNT Sports for the Europa League final, insisted that Ruben Amorim took too much of a defensive approach with his tactics on the night.
The 46-year-old United legend has suggested that Red Devils boss Amorim knows how important pre-season will be for him after a turbulent campaign at the club.
Speaking on his ‘Rio Reacts’ YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: “Ruben Amorim, I think he went a bit defensive. I think he went a bit conservative.
"They've got a batch of really good players. Nothing world class" 👀
The panel analyse Ruben Amorim, and his future going into next season, and whether he will still be in the position of Manchester United manager come August.
🎙️ @lynseyhipgrave1 | 📺 @tntsports &… pic.twitter.com/aZd1UbaS0R
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 21, 2025
View Tweet
“I don’t think the result will determine his future. I don’t think any type of result or performance will affect him going into next season. I think he was definitely assured of that.
“He didn’t want to come in the first place at this part of the season that they got him because he knew he wouldn’t have had a pre-season.
“He knows the importance of a pre-season.”
READ MORE: Man Utd fans all in agreement about Ruben Amorim’s ‘only shining light’ player vs Tottenham in Europa League final
What Rio Ferdinand spotted alongside Paul Scholes during the 2025 Europa League final between Man Utd and Tottenham
Ferdinand was on punditry alongside former United teammate Paul Scholes and the TNT Sports pundit talked up the spine-tingling support from United fans in Bilbao.
The ex-United defender insisted that both the players and Amorim had “songs sung” about them at the San Mames Stadium, despite their poor season in the league.
Ferdinand argued that United players need to step up and show why Red Devils fans should be singing songs about them after their chaotic campaign at Old Trafford.
“If you can switch it and try and find a positive from not being in the Champions League next season and not being in Europe is that he is going to get more time to coach the players on the pitch, less games, less midweek games that he’s going to get time to coach these players and then there’s no excuses,” he continued.
“These fans, me and Scholes were sitting there and some of these players are getting songs sung after him.
“The managers got a song sung after him. They’re languishing in the league. They’re coming out in their thousands still and supporting this team.
“These guys need to start giving them something to sing about and justifying why they got there.”
United will now leave Bilbao and return to England for their final Premier League match of the 2024-25 campaign at Old Trafford against Aston Villa on Sunday.