Alejandro Garnacho was frustrated over his absence from the starting XI in Manchester United's Europa League final defeat to Tottenham, and his brother failed to bite his tongue on the matter
Comments
Sport
18:31, 22 May 2025
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 was left dejected after Man United lost the UEFA Europa League Final
(Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)
If Alejandro Garnacho is required to apologise for his outburst regarding Ruben Amorim's team selection for the Europa League final, it wouldn't be the first time the Manchester United winger has found himself in hot water.
The 20-year-old was visibly upset with Amorim following the defeat in Bilbao. The Argentine winger was dropped to the bench for the 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, despite having played a key role in their route to the final.
Although Amorim did bring on the United academy product in place of Mason Mount, it wasn't until the 71st minute. Clearly dissatisfied with the limited opportunity to influence the game, Garnacho sharply criticised the United head coach post-match for not including him in the starting lineup, and he went as far as to label the team's season as "s***".
However, this isn't Garnacho's first clash with management. He previously faced disciplinary action from Erik ten Hag after interacting with a social media post that criticised the Dutchman.
Garnacho had 'liked' a tweet on X which condemned Ten Hag for substituting the young player at half time during United's 2-2 draw away at Bournemouth last season, reports the Mirror.
When later questioned about the incident, Ten Hag put the issue to rest by confirming the player had shown he was sorry, saying: "Alejandro is a young player, he has to learn a lot. He apologised for it and after that we move on."
Alejandro Garnacho speaking to the media after Manchester United's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final
Alejandro Garnacho spoke to the media after Manchester United's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final
Just over a year after first making headlines for criticising his boss, Garnacho has done so once more. Speaking to the press in Bilbao, the young talent expressed his frustration.
"Up until the final I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don't know," he said. "The final will influence [my decision] but the whole season, the situation of the club. I'm going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens afterwards."
To compound the controversy, Garnacho's brother and agent Roberto supported his comments with a pointed social media message.
He posted on Instagram: "Working as no-one else, helping every round, coming from two goals in the last two finals, just to be on the pitch for 19 mins and get thrown under the bus. Wowe hahahahahaha."
Speculation is rife about whether Amorim will address the remarks made by Garnacho and his brother during his next pre-match press conference on Friday. United are preparing to welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford for their final Premier League match of the campaign this Sunday.
Ruben Amorim speaking in a press conference after Manchester United's 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League
Ruben Amorim addressed Garnacho's absence from the United's team in the Europa League final
Meanwhile, Amorim looked to justify his choice to bench the Argentinian in favour of Mount after the defeat in Bilbao. The head coach even subtly rebuked Garnacho, saying: "How many times have we had this conversation, and it was the opposite? Some players come in, like Mason Mount, against Bilbao and changed the game.
"So now it is easy to say. Who missed the big opportunity in the first half against Bilbao? Yeah [Garnacho]. Of course, now it is easy for us to talk about a lot of views."
There was substantial speculation over Garnacho potentially moving to Napoli or Chelsea during the January window; however, no move came to fruition.
His future could now well depend on Amorim's reaction to his public comments and his brother's post, with a sale still very possible in the summer – especially given United have made every player available for the right price.