Jurgen Klopp ending his managerial career at Liverpool by winning the Europa League is an achievement Manchester United fans can celebrate too.United are set to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League next month and hope to qualify for the competition in Dublin on May 22.
It will be the only trophy Klopp has failed to win during his nearly nine-year spell on Merseyside and a fitting end to his illustrious reign at Anfield.
More trophies won by the German would be welcomed by United fans, but that may not be the case if Klopp secures Europa League glory.
That’s because the team that finished fifth in the Premier League this season could advance to the Champions League next year.UEFA decided to change the format of Europe’s elite competition for 2024/25, increasing the number of participating teams from 32 to 36 and opening up four additional places.
Two of these places belong to the country whose club had the best results in UEFA competitions last season. If Premier League teams succeed in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season, it will have a positive impact on other clubs in England.
Had this rule been in place this season, a fifth-place finish in May would have put the Reds back into the Champions League, with Manchester City winning the Champions League and West Ham United winning the Conference League.
Other teams to feature are Atalanta, who finished fifth in Serie A after Inter Milan reached the Champions League final, while Roma and Fiorentina reached the Europa League and Conference League finals respectively. That’s why United will be paying close attention to Liverpool’s performance in Europe this season. That’s because relying on other clubs’ performances could be Erik Ten Hag’s side’s most realistic chance of securing Champions League football.
The Red Devils are currently sixth and eighth in the Premier League. They are one point behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.