Jose Luis Mendilibar has taken a brutal dig at Manchester United after his Sevilla side humiliated their opponents in Thursday's Europa League clash.
With the scores tied at 2-2 from the first leg of the quarter final, the Spaniards took early control when Youssef En-Nesyri pounced on an error from Harry Maguire to make it 1-0. Shortly after the break Loic Bade doubled the lead with a looping header that somehow beat David de Gea.
The keeper's calamities didn't end there, gifting En-Nesyri the chance to fire into an empty net late on to set the seal on a resounding Sevilla win. After expecting blood and thunder, Mendilibar was somewhat taken aback by seeing his side cruise through.
“It’s surprising for us to win a game against Manchester United without struggling and with such forcefulness,” Mendilibar said, via Spanish outlet AS. And he was full of praise for his squad for handling the pressure in front of a sold out crowd at The Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
“It’s not easy. I think the squad should be very pleased with how they played these 90 minutes," he added. "We were better than Manchester United. They believed in themselves and they looked good on the field. I think they did more than just score goals, I think the players deserved this.”
Mendilibar only replaced Jorge Sampaoli at the helm in March. However, he now has a golden opportunity to help add to the club's already record number of six UEFA Cup/Europa League wins, with a semi final against Juventus to come.
As for United, the inquest into the debacle has continued to rage on Friday. And manager Erik ten Hag, who didn't pull any punches in his post-match analysis, is now reportedly considering a summer clear out with as many as 12 stars set to head out the door.
"I have to acknowledge, it's the truth, it's hard, it's tough, but it's the truth. It's unacceptable," he said afterwards. "We have to be better. It's not about playing skills, it's about character. Sevilla had more willingness to win - it can't be like that.
"Everyone can see the demands and the standard has to be higher in a club like Manchester United. We have to face the fact that we let ourselves down, we let the fans down. If you want to win trophies, if you want to be successful, you need character"
