Why Man Utd will not hold open-top bus parade if they win Europa League

Manchester United’s players will celebrate with a low-key barbecue rather than a traditional open-top bus parade should they beat Tottenham in this year’s Europa League final.

The Red Devils are languishing down in 16th place after a wretched campaign in the Premier League and will finish with their lowest-ever points tally, with results spiralling under Ruben Amorim.

But United can end Amorim’s debut season on an almighty high by defeating Spurs on May 21, an outcome which would automatically qualify the Old Trafford giants for next year’s Champions League.

Since the beginning of February, Amorim’s side have only beaten lowly Leicester and Ipswich in the league – a frankly embarrassing return for a club’s of United’s standing and financial might.

However, it has been a different story altogether in Europe’s second-tier competition, with the men in red winning 7-1 on aggregate against Athletic Bilbao to put themselves on the brink of a hugely significant moment.

According to The Times, though, United’s long-suffering fans will not be able to mark the occasion with Amorim’s players should they get the better of Tottenham in eight days’ time.

The Red Devils are instead opting for a stripped-down celebration over a barbecue at their Carrington training complex amongst players, staff and families, 24 hours after the Bilbao spectacle.

This is largely due to United’s congested end-of-season schedule, with Amorim’s men entertaining Aston Villa for their final match of the top-flight campaign just three days later on May 25.

United’s squad then immediately head to Malaysia to face ASEAN All Stars on 28 May, before travelling to play Hong Kong two days later.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the post-season tour of Asia has received widespread criticism from fans and pundits alike.

After all, the last time the Red Devils held an open-top bus parade was way back in 2013, when they won their 20th Premier League title in Sir Alex Ferguson’s last year as manager at the Theatre of Dreams.

Over 100,000 supporters flocked to the streets of Manchester to show their appreciation that day.

Amorim last month defended United’s decision to schedule in games in Asia immediately after the Premier League comes to an end.

Asked whether he had been consulted about the controversial post-season trip, the United head coach told Sky Sports: ‘Yes, of course. The board talked to me about this situation.

‘We have to look at the context of the club. We are raising our tickets [prices] for our fans.

‘We are doing all this so we have also to make sacrifice – and [it] is a small sacrifice. It will be six days and we make contact with our fans around the world.

‘They come here every weekend to see games at Old Trafford, so everybody in the club is making sacrifices.

‘This is nothing compared to what people are doing to watch our games. We will do our small part.

‘We are lucky to be here and we move forward because that tour will help us also to maybe improve the team if we need.’

Spurs are yet to reveal details of what the club have planned should they defeat United, but the north Londoners will be expected to stage a parade to show off the Europa League trophy.

The last piece of silverware Tottenham won was the 2008 League Cup – and Ange Postecoglou believes victory in Bilbao would change how the club are viewed and perceived.

‘You know what it does to the club and to the people,’ The Spurs head coach said.

‘When you look at the historical backdrop of this club and what it’s been through on the last 20-odd years, I feel like it could be a turning point in terms of the way the club is perceived, but also more how it perceives itself, which I think is the biggest thing.

‘Until you do that, irrespective of what else you accomplish, people will still say you haven’t won anything and in our game, that’s the thing that matters most when people assess where you’re at.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.