According to reports, Ruben Amorim responded to Arsene Wenger’s controversial proposal to remove the Champions League qualification for the winner of the Europa League.

Wenger told BeIN Sports:“The Europa League champion should automatically qualify for the Europa League, but not the Champions League. Especially when it comes to the Premier League, which already has five teams in the Champions League. I think this is something UEFA should review. Some also argue that to maintain motivation in the Europa League, the reward of Champions League qualification should remain.”

While Manchester United currently sits 15th in the Premier League, their only hope to salvage the season is winning the Europa League. United took a step closer to the final with a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the semifinals.

In response to Wenger’s comments, Amorim said:“I only know the rules. If someone wants to change them, that’s fine. But the current rule is that if you win the Europa League, you qualify for the Champions League. So we are moving forward based on this rule.

I don’t think much about it. I know the Champions League is for champions or the best teams in the leagues, but we are just following the existing rule.”

The automatic qualification rule for the Europa League champion to the Champions League was implemented by UEFA in 2014 to provide additional motivation for teams. Since the restructuring of the competition in the 2009-10 season, no team ranked lower than 12th has reached the final or won the tournament. Sevilla won in 2023 while finishing 12th in La Liga, and Fulham lost the final to Atletico Madrid in the 2009-10 season after finishing 12th in the Premier League.

Manchester United, under Jose Mourinho in 2018, also qualified for the Champions League by winning the Europa League despite finishing sixth in the league.