Manchester United attacker Alejandro Garnacho and head coach Ruben Amorim aimed digs towards each other following the team’s disastrous performance in the Europa League final on Wednesday night.
The Red Devils suffered a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the showpiece event in Spain, and Amorim’s decision not to start Garnacho was a huge subject of debate when the lineups were announced.
Garnacho was ultimately only introduced in the 71st minute of the contest, and his brother and agent furiously criticised Amorim’s decision not to start the Argentina international in the final.
“Working as no one else, helping every round, coming from two goals in the last two finals, just to be on the pitch for 19 mins and get thrown under the bus. Wowe hahahahahaha,” Roberto Garnacho wrote on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Garnacho was quoted as saying by AlbicelesteTalk: “I played every round to help the team reach the final, and today I only got 20 minutes. I don’t know. I will try to enjoy the summer and then see what happens.”
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Garnacho hits out at Amorim’s lineup call for Europa League final
Amorim was also asked about his decision not to start Garnacho, telling reporters during his press conference: “It’s easy to say that now. Who missed the big opportunity in the first half in the semi-final? Garnacho. Football is like that.”
Garnacho has scored 11 goals and registered 10 assists in 58 appearances for Man United during the 2024-25 campaign, including one goal and four assists in 15 appearances in the Europa League.
The 20-time English champions immediately looked a bigger threat when Garnacho came onto the field, with the team suddenly giving the Tottenham defence, which was comfortable for long spells, something to think about.
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What happens now? Will Garnacho leave Man United?
Garnacho was strongly linked with a move away from Man United in January, with Napoli believed to have had at least one bid rejected for the youngster, while Chelsea were also keen during the winter window.
Any sale of Garnacho would count as pure profit under the Premier League’s rules surrounding profit and sustainability, and the Red Devils need to make some difficult decisions during the summer market.
This is not the first time that Amorim and Garnacho have clashed, with the forward’s reaction to being substituted against Ipswich Town back in February leading to him buying his teammates dinner to apologise for his actions.
Garnacho’s best work for Man United continues to come in a wide area, but Amorim’s system relies on the number 10s in the team coming inside to create space for the wing-backs.
As well as firm interest from Napoli, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are believed to be among the clubs keeping a close eye on the situation, with an offer in the region of £40m likely to be seriously considered by a Man United team that will be absent from Europe next term.
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