Football
Rob Dawson, Correspondent 7y

Manchester United must focus on Europa League win - Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has branded Manchester United's Europa League semifinal second leg with Celta Vigo the most important game in the club's history.

United face the Spanish side at Old Trafford on Thursday with a place in the final in Stockholm on May 24 -- and possibly next season's Champions League -- up for grabs.

The club have won Europe's premier club competition three times.

But Mourinho insists winning the second-tier Europa League for the first time would rival those achievements in 1968, 1999 and 2008 because United cannot continue living off their illustrious past.

At a news conference at Old Trafford on Wednesday, it was suggested to Mourinho that Celta Vigo's motivation to win might be greater because they are the smaller club. Mourinho, however, disagrees.

"In motivation, we are even," he said. "For Celta in their words, the most important match for their history. My feelings, it is the most important match of our history.

"It doesn't matter how big the matches were before. What matters is the next one. I don't believe they dream more than us. I don't believe. I don't think there is a difference."

Ahead of the game, Mourinho has called on the Old Trafford crowd to "play" with the team after hinting the atmosphere had been disappointing for the quarterfinal second leg against Anderlecht last month when they needed an extra time winner from Marcus Rashford to sneak through.

"I see a difference between matches," said Mourinho. "I don't think it's consistent the atmosphere, the enthusiasm.

"The match against Chelsea where they wanted to play, they played until last minute. The match against Anderlecht, the stadium was not warm enough to make us feel it was a very important match. It was because it was quarterfinal second leg."

Following the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, Mourinho conceded United's hopes of finishing in the top four are over.

It leaves the Europa League as their only hope of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

But the United manager insists it is not a risk to close the door on the Premier League route with three games still to play.

He added: "The situation is simple, 17 matches in seven weeks with 16 players is impossible. It was not a gamble. It was a simple decision. A decision based on common sense.

"Seventeen matches with 16 players is completely impossible.

"So since we lost players and initially lost four of them in one week when we lost Smalling, Jones and lost Rojo and Zlatan against Anderlecht.

"After that we lost boys that could be alternatives -- Young, Shaw, Fosu-Mensah. When we lost these players, and 17 matches in seven weeks, it was impossible. So it was not a gamble. No regrets.

"We are giving everything. When you give everything, no problem."

United are heavy favourites to make it to Stockholm after Rashford's free kick in Spain last week gave them a 1-0 aggregate lead.

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