Red devils ganhariam força no mercado
©IMAGO
Vencer a Liga Europa pode significar bem mais do que conquistar um troféu para o Manchester United: além de ser, naturalmente, um objetivo desportivo, pode ser vista também como uma necessidade estratégica para a equipa orientada por Ruben Amorim. Afinal, a entrada direta na Liga dos Campeões da próxima temporada pode ser o argumento decisivo que faltava aos red devils para atrair reforços e convencer jogadores de topo a rumarem a Old Trafford. O mercado vai mexer para os lados de Manchester no próximo verão, mas pode mexer ainda mais caso o United leve para casa a segunda Liga Europa da sua história. Um feito que não só proporcionaria mais um troféu europeu ao museu do clube, mas que também, e acima de tudo, funcionaria como o ponto de viragem para um novo ciclo.
Um passaporte para a Champions… e para um mercado mais ambicioso
A qualificação direta para a fase de grupos da Liga dos Campeões seria, por si só, uma proeza digna de registo, ainda para mais na época de estreia de Amorim em Manchester, onde chegou já com a temporada em andamento. Para um clube da dimensão do United, estar fora da elite europeia torna-se quase insustentável, tanto do ponto de vista financeiro como competitivo. A vitória na Liga Europa asseguraria essa qualificação para a Champions, sem o clube estar dependente do desfecho de uma Premier League onde as coisas não têm corrido bem: a formação orientada por Amorim ocupa, ao dia de hoje, um dececionante 14.º lugar no campeonato inglês, longe dos lugares europeus.
Mais do que isso, no entanto, a presença na Champions é vista como um critério decisivo para jogadores de topo, que pretendem, naturalmente, estar nas grandes competições, como é o caso da prova mais importante da UEFA. O United corre o sério risco de ver alvos de mercado optarem por projetos mais consolidados ou igualmente ambiciosos, mas com presença europeia garantida, caso não vença a Liga Europa e garanta o bilhete para a Liga dos Campeões. Até porque, vale lembrar, a participação na Champions representa também a entrada de dezenas de milhões de euros em prémios. Numa altura em que as regras do fair play financeiro impõem limites, muitas vezes, difíceis de contornar, esse rendimento extra poderia ser a diferença entre trazer alguns reforços cirúrgicos ou fazer contratações de peso tendo em vista o reforço do plantel para 2025/26. Além disso, ajudaria o United a equilibrar um orçamento que tem sido fortemente penalizado por más decisões desportivas nos últimos anos.
Vencer para recomeçar
Amorim chegou a Old Trafford com ideias novas, uma abordagem diferente em muitos aspetos e, dentro de campo, uma identidade tática muito própria, que ainda não foi totalmente aceite em Inglaterra. Para que o projeto do técnico português ganhe tração, porém, é necessário competir com os melhores desde o primeiro dia, e a Champions é a montra ideal para que isso aconteça. Conquistar a Liga Europa é, por isso mesmo, um passo fundamental para o início de uma nova era em Manchester.
Logicamente que a Liga Europa não tem o mesmo prestígio da Champions. Para um clube tão instável como tem sido o United nos últimos anos, contudo, vencer um troféu internacional significaria também ganhar uma ambição renovada, restaurando confiança aos jogadores, à equipa técnica e, claro, aos adeptos.
Posto isto, o Manchester United tem tudo a ganhar com a Liga Europa. Vencer a prova pode ser a chave para reabrir portas, restaurar ambições, acelerar um processo de transformação que tarda em acontecer e voltar aos tempos gloriosos que fizeram deste um dos maiores clubes do mundo e da história do futebol.
O caminho (e os obstáculos) até à glória
Numa temporada na qual as dificuldades se têm acumulado para Amorim, a possibilidade de conquistar a Liga Europa começou a ganhar força depois de, na última quinta-feira, os red devils terem eliminado o Lyon – orientado pelo também português Paulo Fonseca -, nos quartos de final, numa eliminatória que promete ficar para a história. As duas equipas empataram (2-2) no encontro da primeira mão, tendo proporcionado um verdadeiro espetáculo na segunda e derradeira vez que se defrontaram, desta feita em Manchester, numa partida que o United venceu por 5-4 e que teve emoção até final, com cinco golos no prolongamento e o triunfo dos ingleses a ser carimbado somente à passagem do minuto 121, com um golo do herói improvável Harry Maguire.
Para levarem o troféu para Manchester, contudo, os pupilos de Amorim terão ainda dois obstáculos pela frente. O primeiro será o Athletic Bilbao, adversário do United nas meias-finais, sendo que o vencedor desta eliminatória defrontará na final – que, curiosamente, será disputada no estádio da equipa espanhola – quem levar a melhor no duelo entre os ingleses do Tottenham e os noruegueses do Bodø/Glimt. A glória europeia pode não apagar todas as cicatrizes da época, mas poderia ser o ponto de partida de um novo Manchester United. A conquista da Liga Europa significaria o fim de um ciclo negativo e o início de uma nova era em Old Trafford. Com Amorim ao leme.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
„Fingerspitzengefühl“ – Was Müller von der Kane-Sperre hält
Wir haben personalisierte Videos für dich! Um mit Inhalten von Drittanbietern zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. externen Inhalt aktivieren Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre jederzeit widerrufliche Einwilligung (über den Schalter oder über " Widerruf Tracking und Cookies " am Seitenende) zur Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten nötig. Dabei können Daten in Drittländer wie die USA übermittelt werden (Art. 49 Abs. 1 lit. a DSGVO). Mit dem Aktivieren des Inhalts stimmen Sie zu. Weitere Infos finden Sie hier.
Shedeur Sanders to Browns: Which QBs had good careers after getting drafted in Round 5 or later?
Getty Images The wait is over for Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. Once projected to be the second quarterback taken in the draft, Sanders wasn't one of the top five quarterbacks taken and his draft stock took a massive slide. On Saturday, the Cleveland Browns took a chance on Sanders early in the fifth round with the No. 144 pick, adding their second rookie quarterback of this draft (selected Dillon Gabriel in the third round). They traded up ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles to assure they landed their guy.No quarterback was taken in Round 4, meaning Sanders slipped even further on Day 3 of the draft. The Heisman Trophy finalist continued to wait until Cleveland made the move. What does it mean for Sanders being a fifth-round pick? It doesn't mean he can't carve out a good career in the NFL. […]
Shedeur Sanders drafted by Browns in Round 5: Colorado QB finally selected with pick No. 144
Getty Images The wait is finally over for Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, as the Browns selected him with the No. 144 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, was widely expected to be a first- or second-round pick but instill fell all the way to the fifth round and was selected behind five other quarterbacks. The Browns gave up picks 166 and 192 to trade up 22 spots with the Seattle Seahawks for the right to select Sanders. Sanders now presumably gets a chance to develop and compete in a quarterback room that includes the injured Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett (acquired via trade), Joe Flacco (signed in April) and Dillon Gabriel (third-round pick). It's a far cry from where Sanders likely expected to be coming into this weekend, but he's still getting his NFL […]
Browns end Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders’ draft skid, take him with No. 144 pick
<!--> The slide has ended. Shedeur Sanders' landing spot was the most talked-about subject heading into the 2025 NFL Draft and became a primary talking point after he was continually passed on Day 1 and 2, and now we have an answer. The former Colorado quarterback was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 144 pick in the draft, the sixth pick of the fifth round, on Saturday.Sanders was the sixth quarterback off the board, being selected after Miami (Fla.)'s Cam Ward (No. 1 to the Tennessee Titans), Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart (No. 25 to the New York Giants), Louisville's Tyler Shough (No. 40 to the New Orleans Saints), Alabama's Jalen Milroe (No. 92 to the Seattle Seahawks) and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel (No. 94 to the Cleveland Browns).ADVERTISEMENT -->Sanders has been a polarizing prospect during the draft process. There has […]
Wrexham are heading to the Championship: This is the story of their third straight promotion season
Even for a club dubbed ‘Hollywood FC’ and whose players recently starred alongside Channing Tatum in a Super Bowl advert, Danny DeVito high-fiving supporters in a Los Angeles bar to celebrate a stoppage-time winner remains one of the more surreal moments this season.Ollie Rathbone’s darting run and angled shot from 20 yards to break the deadlock against Barnsley was certainly worthy of such an effusive reaction from the 80-year-old as he joined fellow It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-stars in saluting Wrexham’s goal.AdvertisementBut still, DeVito is acting royalty, and this was a match being played two tiers below the Premier League and 5,200 miles away. The footage of DeVito’s celebrations quickly went viral with comments such as, “Just when you thought you’d seen it all!”To those with inside knowledge of Wrexham’s rise under co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney — […]
Crystal Palace je prvním finalistou Anglického poháru
Semifinálový účet otevřel Eze, který nejprve zamířil z dálky přesně pod břevno a po změně stran si došel pro penaltu. Ale Francouz Mateta selhal a poslal míč vedle pravé tyče. Stalo se mu to poprvé po jedenácti úspěšných pokusech. Další dva góly přidal Senegalec Sarr, na něhož nebudou hráči Aston Villy rádi vzpomínat. V únoru jim také dvěma brankami připravil ligovou porážku 1:6.Crystal Palace je v lize až dvanáctý, ale má šanci probojovat se do pohárové Evropy, což se mu ve stodvacetileté historii ještě nepodařilo.Semifinále Anglického fotbalového poháru:Crystal Palace – Aston Villa 3:0 (58. a 90.+4 Sarr, 31. Eze)
Related
„Fingerspitzengefühl“ – Was Müller von der Kane-Sperre hält
Wir haben personalisierte Videos für dich! Um mit Inhalten von Drittanbietern zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. externen Inhalt aktivieren Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre jederzeit widerrufliche Einwilligung (über den Schalter oder über " Widerruf Tracking und Cookies " am Seitenende) zur Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten nötig. Dabei können Daten in Drittländer wie die USA übermittelt werden (Art. 49 Abs. 1 lit. a DSGVO). Mit dem Aktivieren des Inhalts stimmen Sie zu. Weitere Infos finden Sie hier.
Shedeur Sanders to Browns: Which QBs had good careers after getting drafted in Round 5 or later?
Getty Images The wait is over for Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. Once projected to be the second quarterback taken in the draft, Sanders wasn't one of the top five quarterbacks taken and his draft stock took a massive slide. On Saturday, the Cleveland Browns took a chance on Sanders early in the fifth round with the No. 144 pick, adding their second rookie quarterback of this draft (selected Dillon Gabriel in the third round). They traded up ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles to assure they landed their guy.No quarterback was taken in Round 4, meaning Sanders slipped even further on Day 3 of the draft. The Heisman Trophy finalist continued to wait until Cleveland made the move. What does it mean for Sanders being a fifth-round pick? It doesn't mean he can't carve out a good career in the NFL. […]
Shedeur Sanders drafted by Browns in Round 5: Colorado QB finally selected with pick No. 144
Getty Images The wait is finally over for Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, as the Browns selected him with the No. 144 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, was widely expected to be a first- or second-round pick but instill fell all the way to the fifth round and was selected behind five other quarterbacks. The Browns gave up picks 166 and 192 to trade up 22 spots with the Seattle Seahawks for the right to select Sanders. Sanders now presumably gets a chance to develop and compete in a quarterback room that includes the injured Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett (acquired via trade), Joe Flacco (signed in April) and Dillon Gabriel (third-round pick). It's a far cry from where Sanders likely expected to be coming into this weekend, but he's still getting his NFL […]
Browns end Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders’ draft skid, take him with No. 144 pick
<!--> The slide has ended. Shedeur Sanders' landing spot was the most talked-about subject heading into the 2025 NFL Draft and became a primary talking point after he was continually passed on Day 1 and 2, and now we have an answer. The former Colorado quarterback was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 144 pick in the draft, the sixth pick of the fifth round, on Saturday.Sanders was the sixth quarterback off the board, being selected after Miami (Fla.)'s Cam Ward (No. 1 to the Tennessee Titans), Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart (No. 25 to the New York Giants), Louisville's Tyler Shough (No. 40 to the New Orleans Saints), Alabama's Jalen Milroe (No. 92 to the Seattle Seahawks) and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel (No. 94 to the Cleveland Browns).ADVERTISEMENT -->Sanders has been a polarizing prospect during the draft process. There has […]
Wrexham are heading to the Championship: This is the story of their third straight promotion season
Even for a club dubbed ‘Hollywood FC’ and whose players recently starred alongside Channing Tatum in a Super Bowl advert, Danny DeVito high-fiving supporters in a Los Angeles bar to celebrate a stoppage-time winner remains one of the more surreal moments this season.Ollie Rathbone’s darting run and angled shot from 20 yards to break the deadlock against Barnsley was certainly worthy of such an effusive reaction from the 80-year-old as he joined fellow It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-stars in saluting Wrexham’s goal.AdvertisementBut still, DeVito is acting royalty, and this was a match being played two tiers below the Premier League and 5,200 miles away. The footage of DeVito’s celebrations quickly went viral with comments such as, “Just when you thought you’d seen it all!”To those with inside knowledge of Wrexham’s rise under co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney — […]
Crystal Palace je prvním finalistou Anglického poháru
Semifinálový účet otevřel Eze, který nejprve zamířil z dálky přesně pod břevno a po změně stran si došel pro penaltu. Ale Francouz Mateta selhal a poslal míč vedle pravé tyče. Stalo se mu to poprvé po jedenácti úspěšných pokusech. Další dva góly přidal Senegalec Sarr, na něhož nebudou hráči Aston Villy rádi vzpomínat. V únoru jim také dvěma brankami připravil ligovou porážku 1:6.Crystal Palace je v lize až dvanáctý, ale má šanci probojovat se do pohárové Evropy, což se mu ve stodvacetileté historii ještě nepodařilo.Semifinále Anglického fotbalového poháru:Crystal Palace – Aston Villa 3:0 (58. a 90.+4 Sarr, 31. Eze)
Be the first to leave a comment