LONDON • Manchester United's season ended on the lowest possible note, with their failure to qualify for the Champions League and no silverware to show for, and they could have started next term just as chaotically.
That was the nightmare facing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if Watford had beaten Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, which would have resulted in his side entering the Europa League second qualifying round on July 25.
It would have thrown their pre-season plans, including the International Champions Cup (ICC) Singapore event at the National Stadium, into disarray, with United set to play Inter Milan on July 20.
But City did their cross-town rivals a favour by thrashing the Hornets 6-0 at Wembley, ensuring that seventh-placed Wolves will now go into the second qualifying stage, with United, who finished sixth in the Premier League, booking their group-stage berth.
Nuno Espirito Santo's players will be playing in Europe for the first time since 1980.
This season's Europa League final will be between Arsenal and Chelsea on May 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the winner guaranteed Champions League football.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan Football Association general secretary Elkhan Mammadov has promised that "there will not be any problem for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to travel to Baku".
Speculation remains rife that Arsenal will have to leave the forward, who is also Armenia's captain, behind in London.
There have been no diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia since the 1994 Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Mkhitaryan missed Arsenal's Europa League group game against Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag last October over safety fears.
Armenian citizens are currently barred from entering Azerbaijan. Exceptions have been made for certain athletes, but none have had the same profile as Mkhitaryan.
Chelsea held 2-2 by Burnley, denting Champions League hopes
Menotti named Argentina's director of national teams January 14, 2019 Huffington News Huffington News FILE PHOTO: Tecos's coach Cesar Menotti of Argentina gives instructions to his players at the Mexican league championship soccer match against Jaguares at the Three Marzo stadium in Guadalajara City, Mexico, September 7, 2007.
Menotti named Argentina's director of national teams
Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho embarrassingly slipped after presenting a symbolic face-off to a match in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on Monday. Videos of the 56-year-old boss falling on a red carpet on the ice rink in Balashikha appeared on social media after the accident.
Football: Mourinho humiliated by fall at Russian hockey
SINGAPORE, 15 MAY 2019 - The Merlion Cup will return to the Singapore football calendar this June after a decade-long hiatus. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced today afternoon that the invitational tournament will be staged for the eighth time in a new quadrangular format, which will feature the national Under-22 teams of Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Singapore Slingers Set for Pre Season Merlion Cup Action
Dec 11, 2017 · Jaguars ban four fans who threw objects in Seahawks game. The fans will not face criminal charges but will no longer be allowed to attend events at EverBank Field.
Montenegro get one-game fan stadium ban for racial abuse of
Champions League final may mess up Nations League plans, says
Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could return to training at the end of February. The 24-year-old has been out since suffering knee ligament damage during the Champions League semi
Messi backs Valverde but admits Barca are still hurting Madrid, Spain: Lionel Messi wants Ernesto Valverde to continue as Barcelona coach but admits the team have not recovered from their Champions League loss to Liverpool as they face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday.
Messi backs Valverde but admits Barca are still hurting
Alan Archibald says Partick Thistle could have claimed maximum points in the draw with Partick Thistle. Alan Archibald rues missed chances in St Mirren draw. 25 Apr 2014 thing is we
El Clasico: Barcelona rues missed chances in draw vs Real
Football: Manchester City will not rest amid packed schedule
Football: Man City's Aguero in frame to face Brighton in FA Cup MANCHESTER, England (REUTERS) - Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will travel with the rest of their squad for their FA Cup semi-final against Brighton and Hove Albion having nearly recovered from a hamstring injury, manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday (April 5).
Man City's Aguero in frame to face Brighton in FA Cup
Los Angeles: Former England star Wayne Rooney scored three goals on Saturday night to lead D.C. United to a crushing 5-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. Rooney registered his first three goals of the new season and also his first hat trick since signing on with Major League Soccer in July 2018. He now has five multi-goal games.
Wayne Rooney scores his first MLS hat-trick as DC United
Liverpool's Klopp condemns 'disgusting' Salah abuse ahead of
0 comments:
Post a Comment