Alejandro Garnacho has voiced his frustration following Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on Wednesday night.
The Argentine winger, who had featured prominently in United’s journey to the final, was only brought on in the last 20 minutes of the match — a decision he clearly did not agree with.
Speaking after the game to Argentine press, Garnacho didn’t hide his disappointment over manager Ruben Amorim’s tactical choices, especially leaving him on the bench for most of the match despite his consistent contributions in earlier rounds.
“It’s painful. This season has been difficult — losing this final just makes it worse,” Garnacho said.
“I featured in every round before now. I helped the team get here. To be given only 20 minutes in the final… I don’t understand.”
Amorim instead chose to start Mason Mount and Amad Diallo behind striker Rasmus Hojlund, leaving Garnacho and other young talents on the bench until the closing stages.
Tottenham claimed their first major trophy in 17 years thanks to a first-half strike from Brennan Johnson, who capitalized on a defensive lapse to seal the win in Bilbao.
The defeat compounds what has already been a frustrating campaign for Manchester United, both in domestic and European competition.