Amorim insists Man Utd can survive without Champions League football

Ruben Amorim does not believe it is imperative for Manchester United to qualify for the Champions League, though he hopes winning the Europa League could give them momentum going into next season.

United have endured their worst domestic season since being relegated from the First Division in 1973-74, sitting 16th in the Premier League with one game remaining.

The Red Devils' 18 league defeats in 2024-25 are their most since they suffered 20 en route to that demotion, and since the start of April, they have collected the fewest points of any Premier League club (two from eight matches).

As well as a chance to salvage silverware from a torrid campaign, Wednesday's Europa League final versus Tottenham could offer United a route into the Champions League for 2025-26.

Amorim, however, does not think the pressure of qualifying for that competition should impact United's preparations, claiming the Red Devils are big enough to cope without it.

Instead, he is thinking about the positivity a trophy could bring ahead of his first full campaign in charge.

The former Sporting CP boss told reporters: "I came from a club where, in order to survive and maintain players, you need to be in the Champions League. 

"This is not the case here. Our club can have revenues without the Champions League. It's a massive club with a lot of fans around the world. It's a big brand. 

"We just need to be focused and do things the right way."

Amorim could become only the third manager to win a major trophy in his first season in charge of United, after Jose Mourinho in 2016-17 (EFL Cup and Europa League) and Erik ten Hag in 2022-23 (EFL Cup). 

He also could become only the third manager to win a major European title with an English club while aged 40 or younger, after Howard Kendall (1984-85 Cup Winners' Cup with Everton, 38) and Gianluca Vialli (1997-98 Cup Winners' Cup with Chelsea, 33).

Asked what winning the trophy would do for the Red Devils, he said: "Many people will look at our team in a different way, because winning a European title is really important, but nothing is going to change our season. 

"The players know, the fans know, the staff know. But winning a European title can help us to have that feeling that can help us to build for the future. 

"There are a lot of things we need to change in our club; the way we do everything in the week at Carrington, the recruitment, the academy... I think we need to improve.

"It's hard to point at one thing and that will not be solved by winning a cup. We have bigger things to deal with to put this club back to the top. 

"We have a lot to do at our club, not just winning tomorrow."

Captain Bruno Fernandes echoed those thoughts, saying: "It won't change the past, but can it affect the future? Probably yes. 

"Winning a competition gives a lot of things: revenue for the club, a place in the Champions League, more players wanting to come to the club, even though every player wants to play for this club anyway, because of the name.

"But the main thing is to focus on what we have ahead, a massive final against a team we know very well. It's going to be a completely different game from the Premier League."