Manchester United fans wasted no time in reacting to Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce side being matched up with the Red Devils in the Europa League draw on Friday.
Erik ten Hag’s men fell short of capturing Champions League football for the current campaign after Manchester United finished eighth in the Premier League last season.
However, United secured entry into the Europa League after a stunning 2-1 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley in May.
The Red Devils endured a disappointing Champions League season in the 2023-24 campaign, with Erik ten Hag’s men finishing bottom of Group A.
United last won the Europa League in 2017 when Jose Mourinho was Red Devils boss, with the Premier League club beating Ajax 2-0 in the final in Stockholm.
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Mourinho’s reunion with Man Utd
The Europa League, much like the Champions League, has seen an overhaul for the 2024-25 campaign and the Red Devils will play eight matches in the ‘league phase.’
Group matches have now been scrapped from the Europa League and Manchester United will play four fixtures away and four fixtures at Old Trafford.
One of United’s eight Europa League fixtures will be an away trip to Fenerbahce, which now has Jose Mourinho in the dugout of the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
Mourinho was sacked from Serie A side Roma back in January before making his sensational return to management with Fenerbahce in July.
The 61-year-old Portuguese boss previously took charge at United after Louis van Gaal’s sacking in 2016 and lifted a Europa League and a League Cup with the club.
United’s home fixtures will be against Rangers, PAOK, Bodo/Glimt and FC Twente, while the club hit the road against Viktoria Plzen, Porto, FCSB and Fenerbahce.
Man Utd fans react to Mourinho’s Fenerbahce
United fans on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, raised their concerns about the “double pivot” that Mourinho could use against them.
Mourinho was reunited with Fred at Fenerbahce, having previously brought and managed the 31-year-old Brazilian midfielder to Old Trafford in 2018.
Sofyan Amrabat, who spent last season out on loan at Old Trafford, is now set to link up with Mourinho and Fred at Turkish side Fenerbahce this summer.
One fan wrote: “Man United vs Fenerbahce away. Will play against [the] double pivot of Fred and Amrabat. A team coached by the ‘Special One,’ Jose Mourinho. A f*****g difficult game I would say. Cannot ask for [a] better script.”
Another tweeted: “A very tough game, that midfield of Fred [and] Amrabat will be formidable.”
“That’s the UEL draw for [Man] Utd. Gonna be some tough games. The away ones, yikes. Reunion with Mourinho, Fred and Amrabat. Not gonna be easy,” a third posted.
Someone else commented: “The trip to Fenerbache will be fun, Mourinho as the manager and a midfield of Fred [and] Amrabat.”
A fifth X user said: “United coming up against Amrabat and Fred. Can’t write that, can you?”
While a sixth fan added: “Of course, the football story will be a Mourinho [and] United match-up in the Europa League. Amrabat [and] Fred double pivot vs Man Utd.”
A seventh wrote: “Tidy draw for United in the Europa League. Rangers and Fenerbahce are the games I look forward to. Reunion with Fred, Mourinho and Amrabat stinks of a 2-1 loss.”
“We would draw Jose’s Fenerbahce in Turkey against Fred and Amrabat. Genuinely couldn’t write it,” another tweeted.
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