Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed his picks for the “two biggest candidates” to win the Europa League trophy in the 2024-25 campaign.
Jose Mourinho will be reunited against former side Manchester United on Thursday evening, with Fenerbahce hosting the Red Devils at home in Istanbul, Turkey.
United kicked off their Europa League campaign last month and the Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw against Dutch side FC Twente at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag’s men then blew a 2-0 lead against Porto at the Estadio do Dragao before securing a late 3-3 draw in their Europa League tie earlier this month.
United are currently 21st in the Europa League’s league-phase format, which was introduced by UEFA in the 2024-25 campaign.
The Red Devils will play eight matches in total – four at home and four away – before potentially securing a place in the Europa League knockout rounds.
Mourinho talks up Man Utd team
Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce side are 14th in the Europa League table and have won once and lost one ahead of their encounter with Manchester United.
Fenerbahce defeated Union Saint-Gilloise at home last month in a 2-1 win before Mourinho’s men, much like United, picked up a 1-1 draw against FC Twente.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mourinho insisted that United faced a “difficult” match against FC Twente and that the “potential” of the Red Devils is “high.”
“They [United] didn’t win, they didn’t lose and in this format where everybody tries to figure out what we need but nobody knows, I think every point you get is always a difficult point,” he said at his press conference, as per the Metro.
“To play in Porto is not easy, to get a point in Porto is not easy for anybody.
“We also played against Twente, of course, the world expects Man United to beat Twente at Old Trafford but it was a difficult game.
“What I can say is one thing are the results that Manchester United are having and another thing is the potential of the team.
“The potential of the team is high; I think the two draws in the Europa League doesn’t favour us but also doesn’t make a huge difference.”
Mourinho’s Man Utd Europa League prediction
United only managed to secure their place in the Europa League this season after their stunning 2-1 FA Cup final win over Manchester City at Wembley in May.
The Red Devils last won the Europa League competition when Mourinho was in charge, with United beating Ajax 2-0 in the 2017 final in Stockholm.
Mourinho, who was in the Old Trafford hot seat from 2016 to 2018, believes that Erik ten Hag’s side are one the “two biggest candidates” to win the Europa League.
The 61-year-old Fenerbahce boss has tipped former side Tottenham as the other strong favourite to challenge United for the Europa League crown.
“At the end of the day, this new format will always allow that the top teams are going to qualify,” Mourinho added.
“No problem for a top team to lose three or four matches out of eight because then they will win three or four, they will make 12 points easily and they qualify, so I think they are in a stable situation.
“If I have to say now which are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League, I think it’s easy – Man United and Tottenham.
“The Premier League is a different level of quality, it’s a different level of intensity, it’s a different level of pace, it’s a different level of tactical culture, it’s a different level of everything.
“I think tomorrow we are going to play against one of the two strongest teams.”
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
