Manchester United beats Ajax 2-0, wins Europa League
STOCKHOLM — A guttural roar of “Manchester, Manchester” thundered around the Friends Arena at the full-time whistle.
Purely in soccer terms, Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Ajax in the Europa League final on Wednesday was a triumph of huge significance for England’s biggest club.
On a wider level, it was also a moment to cheer for the team’s home city, grieving two thousand kilometers away.
Manchester was plunged into tragedy on Monday when 22 people were killed by a bomb attack at an Ariana Grande concert in the city center. United’s players were clearly moved by the events and flew to Sweden with heavy hearts, vowing to deliver a display in their biggest match of the season that would serve as a tribute to the victims and their families.
That they succeeded in doing so was a testament to their strength of character. It made this victory, in a largely forgettable match, one to remember.
“Yesterday morning, we were devastated,” said United midfielder Ander Herrera, dedicating the win to the victims. “But the manager told us the only thing we could do was to win this for them. That’s what we’ve done.
“It’s just a football game, just a trophy, but if we can support them with this just 1 percent, it’s enough for us.”
The planned pre-match one minute’s silence, in honor of the victims of the blast, rapidly turned into 60 seconds of applause, during which United’s fans chanted poignantly “Manchester, Manchester” for the first time. The two teams wore black armbands for the match in another mark of respect and both sets of fans came together in a show of unity, mingling happily outside the stadium and in the city center before the match.