Alex Ferguson says Manchester United should focus on winning the Europa league and earning an automatic Champions League spot.

Alex Ferguson says Manchester United should focus on winning the Europa league and earning an automatic Champions League spot

The winners of the Europa league are guaranteed a place in the Champions League and with a very tight top four race, Sir Alex Ferguson has advised Manchester United to focus on the second tier continental title. Speaking to ESPN he said:

‘The thing is, we’ve never won the Europa League. We’ve never won the UEFA Cup, what it used to be. And we’ve got a great draw. I’m not saying it’s a certainty, but they’ve got a great chance.

‘It gets you into the Champions League, too – it didn’t used to but it does now, and so that’s a great incentive. And there’s no Sevilla in it, so that’s good.

If you win a trophy, it’s important. It’s a European trophy. It doesn’t matter that it’s not the Champions League – it’s still a European trophy. And if you win it, you get into the Champions League. The incentive is greater to do that.

‘And your CV gets bigger. If we won the Europa League? Fantastic. Add it to the European Cup, the Cup Winners’ Cup, the Champions League. It’s bigger and bigger. We also want to be the most successful club in England.’ Manchester United are drawn against Anderlecht in the next round of the competition.

On the the subject of Bastian Schweinsteiger leaving United ahead for Chicago Fire, Ferguson thinks the German has plenty left to offer.

He added: ‘I think there’s plenty left. Unfortunately, he had an injury last season and he was out for a while and when he came back we had a new manager and the new manager, Jose [Mourinho], had his own ideas.

‘His move will come at the right time for him. He’s a huge figure. He’s very popular with the United players and fans, and he’ll make an impact.’