Mourinho and Mkhitaryan among EIGHT Man Utd flops in European finals as fans say ‘not bad for bunch of deadwood’
MANCHESTER UNITED may not have found themselves in a European final this season, but eight of their former employees have.
The Red Devils have a long list of ex-players that have gone on to be successful elsewhere and this season that list could grow.
Former Manchester United star Romelu Lukaku is part of Inter Milan’s Champions League final team after he was loaned out by Chelsea
SunSport takes a look at the eight players and managers that have booked themselves a chance at European glory this season despite flopping during their time in Manchester.
ROMELU LUKAKU
Lukaku has secured his place in the Champions League final for Inter Milan as they take on Manchester City in Istanbul.
United fans will be hoping that their former front man can do the business as their noisy neighbours try and equal their 1998/99 treble winning season.
Lukaku was unable to impress at Old Trafford after his £75million move from Everton back in 2017.
JOSE MOURINHO
The former United boss has managed to take his Roma team all the way to the final of the Europa League where they will take on Sevilla.
Mourinho’s squad has impressed in Italy after an unsuccessful term in charge of Tottenham Hotspur.
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The special one previously managed to win the Europa League with Manchester United in his first season with the club, but after consequent poor seasons he was sacked in 2018.
Jose Mourinho was Manchester United manager for two and a half seasons winning one Community Shield and one Europa League
HENRIKH MKHITARYAN
Mkhitaryan is also playing at Inter Milan and will line up for a Champions League final.
The Armenian’s time in Manchester was uninspiring and he eventually moved to Arsenal in a swap deal for Alexis Sanchez.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has managed two goals in 12 Champions League appearances this season for Inter
NEMANJA MATIC
Mourinho has made a habit of signing his old players and Matic falls right into that category.
The towering midfielder is also part of Roma’s Europa League final team.
Matic spent five years at Man U and left for Rome last summer after his contract expired.
Nemanja Matic made 189 appearances for Manchester United following his transfer from Chelsea
CHRIS SMALLING
Smalling is another former United player who plays for Roma and will be part of the Europa League final squad.
However the Englishman made the move to Italy before Mourinho after a successful loan with Roma in 2019.
He spent 10 years in Manchester, but never quite lived up to the expectation that was put on him.
Chris Smalling has been a huge part of Roma’s team since he arrived at the club
MATTEO DARMIAN
Darmian struggled to adapt to the Premier League and was an unsuccessful signing for Man United back in 2015.
The Italian now plies his trade in his home country with Inter Milan and will be part of the Champions League final as a result.
The full back even thanked his former side in an interview with Sky Sports after Inter reached the final.
He said: “I have to say thank you to them [United] because if I’m the player and person that I am, it’s also because of them. I just have to say thank you, but now I’m an Inter player and I give everything for Inter.”
Matteo Darmian won the league with Inter in 2021 after spending the season on loan
ALEX TELLES
Telles is currently on loan away from Man U at Sevilla and will be gearing up to take on Roma in the Europa League final.
The full-back has had an uninspiring time in Manchester and has been linked with a permanent move away from the club this summer.
Alex Telles cost Man Utd for £15million from Porto, but he failed to impress in his 50 appearances
DAVID MOYES
Moyes was handed the impossible task at United of taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson, but it’s the near impossible he has now pulled off with West Ham.
The experienced manager has guided the Hammers to the Europa Conference League final where they will take on Fiorentina.
David Moyes is hoping to win a European title and keep West Ham in the Premier League in the same season
Manchester United themselves have managed to land in two domestic finals this season.
Erik ten Hag’s side won the Carabao Cup back in February and will be hoping to add the FA Cup to their haul in June.
This hasn’t stopped fans from poking fun at the club for so many of their ‘flops’ going on to make it into European finals.
One took to Twitter to have their say, they wrote: “Not bad for a bunch of deadwood.”
Whilst another joked: “Too many former United players in European finals this year. Wonderful.”
