Since their formation nearly a century and a half ago, Manchester United has managed to amass silverware that only a handful of clubs can even dare to rival. The English giants are so synonymous with excellence that they are still considered one of the top professional soccer clubs in the world despite the challenges they’ve faced over the past decade or so. Speaking objectively, any other club in their position would have slowly but surely disappeared into oblivion. Among their trophy haul is the prestigious Europa League title which has its own special history and significance for the team.
When did Man Utd last win the Europa League? Manchester United last won the Europa League in their 2016-17 campaign, ending a nine-year-long European trophy drought. They were led by Jose Mourihno during this time, winning the League Cup in the same season. The Europa League win is 1 of only 3 trophies Man Utd have won since the retirement of long time Manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.
Europa League Resurgence
The Europa League was founded as the UEFA Cup in 1971 after the Union of European Football Associations sought to create another competition that would incorporate European clubs after having much success with its top-tier tournament – the UEFA Champions League (formerly known as the European Cup).
The competition was a hit in its early days and even rivaled the European Cup in participation and following. The UEFA Cup itself succeeded the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup which had been founded in 1955.
Due to the Champions League’s continued popularity, the UEFA Cup started declining since most top teams participated in the former. The current iteration of the Europa League as we know it was founded when the UEFA Cup was merged with the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1999 and later rebranded in 2009.
Post-Fergie Woes
After the exit of former Red Devils chief Sir Alex Ferguson following their 2012-13 season, United struggled to find a suitable replacement. They first opted for then-immediate former Everton manager David Moyes upon Fergie’s recommendation.
The Scotsman however failed to live up to his moniker of “The Chosen One” as United appeared to be a shell of its former self leading to his unceremonious axing less than a year into his highly-publicized six-year contract at Old Trafford. Moyes’ lackluster tenure saw United miss Champions League football for the first time since 1995.
Former winger Ryan Giggs was then appointed as a caretaker manager before the club brought on ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Louis van Gaal in May 2014. To his credit, the Dutchman rebuilt the then-depleted squad by signing the likes of defenders Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo, midfielder Ander Herrera, winger Ángel Di María and forward Radamel Falcao.
Van Gaal appeared to have steadied the ship and even managed to lead United to a fourth-place finish in his first season. His second season in charge saw United climb to the top of the league in the first half of the season and end it by clinching the coveted FA Cup. His hard-nosed approach however alienated the squad leading to his dismissal in late May 2016 despite a fair fifth-placed finish
The Arrival of the “Special One” & The Masterplan
In what had become United’s tradition of landing big-name managers, United upped the ante by signing former Chelsea boss José Mourinho. The ex-Real Madrid chief hit the ground running securing United’s first trophy under his tenure – the FA Community Shield – less than three months later in early August 2016.
Mourinho then went on to clinch his first major trophy at United in late February the next year – the EFL Cup. The club however struggled domestically and was projected to finish in sixth place – a development that would have meant no Champions League football.
Knowing that their domestic season was all but lost, Mourinho concentrated his troops’ efforts on the Europa League – their 10th attempt at winning the competition. Their journey started off by securing a second-place finish in their group that included Turkish greats Fenerbahce, Feyenoord, and Zorya Luhansk.
Overcoming Adversity
United then moved on to the Round of 32 where they dismantled French side Saint-Etienne 4-0 over two legs thanks to a hat trick from former marksman Zlatan Ibrahimović. Their Round of 16 clashes against Russian side FC Rostov proved to be much more challenging but the club weathered the storm and advanced after securing a 2-1 victory on aggregate.
After booking a ticket to the quarter-final stage, United met Belgian juggernauts Anderlecht. United ultimately triumphed 3-2 on aggregate but lost two key players – Ibrahimović and defender Marcos Rojo to cruciate ligament injuries.
Nevertheless, United soldiered on to meet Spanish side Celta Vigo in the semi-final. They won the first leg 1-0 away thanks to a stunning free-kick from marksman Marcus Rashford before drawing 1-1 at home to secure their trip to the final.
In the final, United met Eredivisie greats Ajax at Friends Arena in Solna, Stockholm. Both teams started off the match on a high note and attempted a few shots at goal albeit unsuccessfully. United broke the deadlock in the 17th minute thanks to a low volley from midfielder Paul Pogba.
The shot deflected off of former Ajax center-back Davinson Sánchez and beat goalkeeper André Onana to register United’s first goal. Man U then fall back defensively as Ajax stepped up their efforts on the offensive end before the end of the first half.
Mourinho appears to have had a serious talk with his squad during halftime as they began the second half with a renewed sense of urgency. Just two minutes into the half, former midfield maestro Juan Mata combined with former defender Chris Smalling to get the ball to ex-playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was closest to the goal.
Mkhitaryan did not disappoint and went on to slot in the second goal, putting the match beyond Ajax’s reach. United controlled possession for the remainder of the match skillfully stifling every attack their opponents attempted.
The victory not only guaranteed United entry into the Champions League the following season but also made history as United joined Bayern Munich, Ajax, Chelsea, and Juventus as the only clubs to win all three major European trophies (Champions League, the now-discontinued Cup Winners’ Cup, and the Europa League).
As the ultimate gesture of respect, United allowed its all-time leading goal scorer Wayne Rooney to come on before the final whistle to lift their first and only Europa League trophy to date in what was Wazza’s final match at the club.