Jose Mourinho believes it was important to win the Europa League (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has explained why he felt it was so important to win the Europa League with the Red Devils last season.

The Portuguese tactician had previously downplayed the competition’s importance, even aiming a dig at Chelsea’s 2013 win a few months before he replaced Rafael Benitez as manager at Stamford Bridge.

‘I don’t want to win the Europa League,’ he said shortly after starting his second spell in charge of the Blues. ‘It would be a big disappointment for me. I don’t want my players to feel the Europa League is our competition.’

However, Mourinho changed his mind about the competition last season as he inherited a United side who’d finished fifth the previous season under Louis van Gaal, missing out on the Champions League in the process.

Mourinho’s side beat Ajax 2-0 in May’s final (Picture: Getty)

United actually finished even lower in the Premier League last season, ending up in sixth, but are now back at Europe’s top table after winning the Europa League final against Ajax in May.

As well as serving the purpose of getting the club back where they feel they belong, Mourinho also explained it was important to create a winning feeling at Old Trafford again after a difficult spell since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

‘When you are used to win and win and win, and suddenly you stop, it’s like a heavy burden,’ he told The Times.

‘Of course in the first season I was trying to improve (this), but I also felt the club need to feed – at least emotionally – the fans, the self-esteem of the players, the motivation of the people. And you can’t do that without some success.

United’s victory put them in this season’s Champions League (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United 2018/19 Fixtures

Fulham (A) - Feb 9
PSG (H) - Feb 12
Chelsea (A) - Feb 18
Liverpool (H) - Feb 24
Crystal Palace (A) - Feb 27
Southampton (H) - Mar 2

‘That’s why I fought hard for trophies. And that’s why I prefer a Europa League victory than a third or fourth spot in the championship. Because the best way to accelerate the process is to do the process winning.

‘Because winning gets you smiles, you get better atmosphere, you create better empathy with the people, you can demand more from the people, you can persuade the people to give more. And that was a very successful way of work in the past season, because last season was important, not just to bring the club back to the Champions League, not just by winning something as a very important target, but do that at the time you are improving the structures.’

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