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Ajax 0 Manchester United 2: Jose Mourinho's team make Manchester proud as they win the Europa League
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To Ajax’s manager it was a “boring final”. For Manchester United it released torrents of emotion that clearly helped them win the game, for their club, their city and those back home who were probably too distraught to focus fully on a mere Europa League final.
When it was over, when United’s job had been mechanically executed, the best of Jose Mourinho’s players on the night delivered words of unusual power. Ander Herrera told us the team had been “devastated” in training on Tuesday, and said: “I want to dedicate this to the victims. We want peace in the world.” He urged people to “work together for a normal world”.
This is not the average acceptance speech for a Europa League man of the match. But then this was no average night. It might have overwhelmed Mourinho’s men. Instead they showed Ajax to be boys in a world of men. With direct, physical, unambitious but highly effective play, they added a second trophy to their 2016-17 campaign and found a way back into the Champions League. Now, we can argue about how they did it, and what they need to change. On the night, though, United honoured a promise to their community, and allowed it just a brief taste of normality.
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