Ruben Amorim names Manchester United objective "more important" than winning Europa League - Iqraa news

Ruben Amorim insists Manchester United are thinking bigger than the Europa League this season and played down the importance of making a run for the trophy in the only competition left for the club this season.

United have endured a dismal season under Erik ten Hag and then Amorim, with their Premier League campaign already over and exits from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, leaving just the Europa League to play for by the first week of March.

Amorim's side face Real Sociedad in a last-16 tie, with the first leg in Spain this week and the return at Old Trafford seven days later. The competition is the only avenue for success this season and comes with the prize of Champions League qualification for next season.

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United are languishing in 14th in the Premier League and 13 points adrift of Chelsea in fifth and 10 behind AFC Bournemouth in seventh, leaving the Europa League as their only route back into Europe for 2025/26.

Amorim has tried to play down the value of winning the competition ahead of travelling to Spain and United will be up against it. They have won just 10 of the Portuguese head coach's 24 games in charge and are now in the midst of an injury crisis that has left the squad down to the bare bones.

That's left Amorim taking a bigger picture view of the Europa League this season and he claims that putting the building blocks in place for success are more important than winning a cup this season.

"Of course we lost last week to the [FA Cup] so people are looking at this Europa League as the unique competition we can win, also the connection with winning the Europa League with Champions League," he said.

"But to tell you the truth I think we have bigger things to think, I know it's strange to say that but it's something we're trying to build here that is going to be more important than winning a cup in this moment.

"I know the responsibility we have to fight for every trophy but in this moment we're trying to build something that will last more than any trophy this season."