Roy Keane and Paul Scholes both felt strongly about Manchester United’s position over the Champions League amid the Red Devils’ 2024-25 Europa League campaign.
The Red Devils are in the Europa League semi-finals in the current season and Ruben Amorim’s men are now within touching distance of the 2025 final.
Manchester United hold the advantage over Athletic Club after the Red Devils secured a 3-0 win over the La Liga club in the first-leg tie last Thursday.
The Spanish side travel to Old Trafford on Thursday evening for the return leg of the Europa League semi-finals and Athletic Club face an uphill battle against United.
United must win the Europa League trophy this season if the Red Devils want any hope of securing a return to European football for the 2025-26 campaign.
Ruben Amorim could also capture his first piece of major silverware as United manager if United can lift the Europa League title on 21st May in the final.
The Europa League is United’s only route back to the Champions League for next season and the Red Devils must avoid a disastrous collapse against Athletic Club.
Roy Keane and Paul Scholes are both in agreement about the Europa League and the Champions League for Man Utd
Either the Red Devils or Athletic Club will face fellow semi-finalists Bodo/Glimt or Tottenham in the 2025 Europa League final at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.
Manchester United’s run in the Europa League and success in the competition is a further incentive to boost funds for Ruben Amorim in the summer transfer window.
Paul Scholes and Roy Keane discussed United’s place in Europe amid the winner of the Europa League going into the Champions League for next season.
Keane ruled out any chance of United winning the Champions League and Scholes would be baffled by the Red Devils missing out on European football.
Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football show, Keane said: “Everyone’s saying if United are in it, how big United are, that United are going to be in the Champions League.
“You’re talking like they’re a small club, they’ve got no chance of winning it.”
United legend Scholes added: “It’d be embarrassing.”
Roy Keane is deeply critical of Man Utd’s feelings towards the Champions League ahead of Europa League tie vs Athletic Club
The Red Devils languish in 15th place in the Premier League table and United lost 4-3 to Brentford last Sunday at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Keane ruthlessly slammed United for their mentality of wanting to be in the Champions League for financial purposes rather than wanting to win it.
The United legend continued: “The way it’s panned out now, it’ll be huge for the club, and the format might be that they’ll win one or two games because of the seeding, but in terms of winning it, United are going, ‘We have to be in it,’ they’re not talking about winning it!
“We just have to be in it for financial reasons,’ what a place to be.”
United and Athletic Club’s second-leg semi-final clash in the Europa League is slated for an 8pm kick-off time in the UK at Old Trafford on Thursday.
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