THERE wasn’t much honour in Arsenal’s lap of honour after their home draw, in their last home game of the season, against Brighton on Sunday. Having blown their shot at a top four finish, Arsenal’s fans wasted no time in emptying the Emirates Stadium, leaving their players to applaud swathes of empty red seats.
It was a similar tale at John Smith’s Stadium just a few hours before, when Manchester United accepted their fate with a dismal 1-1 draw against already relegated Huddersfield Town. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer delivered the ultimate synopsis of this team’s sorry situation, admitting the Europa League is “the right place for us.”
Indeed, the Europa League is used by English clubs as a synonym for failure. Nobody at Arsenal or Man Utd is looking forward to playing games in the second tier competition next season. Quite the opposite. If it were possible to forego a Europa League place, the two teams, having missed out on the Champions League, might well do it. They don’t want to be there.
(Some) countries Manchester United could be visiting in Europa League 2nd qualifying round in late July/early Aug (if Watford win FA Cup): Israel, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Albania, Moldova, Georgia, Luxembourg, Latvia, Lithuania, Ireland, Finland…
— jamie jackson (@JamieJackson___) May 6, 2019
Is falling into the Europa League really so terrible, though? Consider the success that English teams have had in the competition in recent years. Three years ago, Manchester United won it, with Arsenal making the semi finals last year. They were unfortunate to come up against an exceptional Atletico Madrid outfit who, in terms of quality, wouldn’t have looked out of place in the latter stages of the Champions League.
Liverpool have also made the Europa League final in recent memory and this season, it seems likely that Arsenal and Chelsea will meet in competition’s showpiece event, giving the Europa League its biggest blockbuster of a final since the rebrand from the UEFA Cup. If the semi-final second legs go as expected, it will be the first all-English European final since Chelsea and Manchester United met in the 2008 Champions League final.
But the Europa League should mean more to English clubs than just an opportunity to win a trophy. The second tier competition gives teams a chance to establish a platform. Look at how Liverpool used their run to the Europa League final a few years ago to hone the character and spirit of their side in the early days of Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. The Europa League also gave Man Utd a sound footing in their first season under Jose Mourinho, although things soon fell apart there.
If Arsenal, who can still qualify for the Champions League by beating Valencia and Chelsea this season, and Man Utd both end up in the Europa League next season, they should look at it as an opportunity, not a punishment. An opportunity to build something bigger, just like Liverpool have over the past few seasons.
When he arrived at the club, they hadn't reached the UEL final for over 15 years or the UCL semi-finals for 10 years
In his three-and-a-half years at the club, Jürgen Klopp taken Liverpool to the Europa League final and two Champions League finals
He’s created some side
Boss pic.twitter.com/mRoku54XYV
— FourFourTweet (@FourFourTweet) May 7, 2019
It’s true that since the introduction of the Champions League place awarded to the winner, the Europa League has lost some of its charm. In this age of media saturation, it was one of the few remaining places at the elite level of the sport where the element of surprise could still be found. How much was known about Dnipro, for instance, before they made a run to the 2015 Europa League final?
That particular allure might have been lost, but the competition has never been as relevant as it is now. UEFA must be happy. They have finally pushed the English clubs, long seen as the sleeping giants of the Europa League and UEFA Cup, into taking the competition seriously. This will be even starker still should Arsenal and Chelsea progress past their semi final opponents this week.
The disappointment that is universally felt upon falling from the Champions League and into the Europa League is understandable. The count counters at Arsenal and Man Utd will have certainly felt the pain this week. But there’s no need for despair. Accept the competition for what it is, as well as what it could start, and you might even find the experience enjoyable.
