Diogo Dalot has issued a stark warning to his Manchester United teammates, urging them not to take Champions League football for granted. The Red Devils have missed out on Europe's top competition for the past two seasons, having lost the Europa League final to Tottenham last term.
United are currently third in the Premier League under Michael Carrick, putting them in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League next season. Dalot emphasised that securing a spot must be the primary objective for the remainder of the campaign.
“I think seasons like this are good for you to know that when you're playing Europa League and especially Champions League, those are the best years, those are the best seasons,” Dalot said. He added: “This year we play, I don't know, maximum 40 games because we came out of the cups even in the early stage, so this is nowhere near what the club should be and the competitions that we should play in.”
Dalot continued: “So when we are there, when we get the main goal that I really believe that we're going to do next season, if we're playing Champions League, we cannot take for granted. We need to put the club back in there.”
Teammate Bruno Fernandes also reflected on the lack of European football this season, admitting he has struggled with playing only once a week. “It has to be huge because, you know, like we struggle a lot this season by playing just one game a week. At least, I did!” Fernandes said after the win against Crystal Palace. He stressed the importance of the Champions League, calling it “the best competition in the world” and noting the club's rich history in the tournament.
