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24 May, 2017 20:41

'We won for them. We played for them': Manchester United win Europa League final

'We won for them. We played for them': Manchester United win Europa League final

Manchester United have won the Europa League final on an emotional night just days after 22 people were killed in a terrorist attack in the city.

The famous Manchester side overcame Dutch giants Ajax 2-0 at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. The win secured qualification for next season’s Champions League competition.

A deflected shot from French midfielder Paul Pogba put United 1-0 up going into half time before Henrikh Mkhitaryan poked home in the second half to make the tie comfortable for Jose Mourinho’s side.

The final was largely overshadowed by Monday night’s terrorist bombing at the Manchester Arena in the heart of the city.

In the aftermath of the attack, Mourinho issued a statement saying “we cannot take out of our minds and our hearts the victims and their families.”

United were in control for most of the game as an inexperienced Ajax side struggled to create any significant chances.

“We know things like this are very sad all over the world, not only in Manchester but also in Paris,” Pogba said during a TV interview after the final whistle.

“We won for them. We played for the country. We won for them. We played for them, the people who died.”

As well as securing the trophy and the title, the win means United will play in the European Super Cup in Skopje, Macedonia, on August 2, against either Real Madrid or Juventus, who contest the Champions league final on Saturday in Cardiff. 

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