Ten Hag: It's not nice to have to hurt something you love
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has expressed a preference to avoid facing FC Twente in the Europa League.
UEFA Europa League 2024/2025: Results & Standings
Ten Hag emphasized the importance of the Europa League as a strategic path toward achieving the club's ambitions. "It's an opportunity, so there are more roads to achieve the targets you want, and this is definitely also a road," he stated. Acknowledging the competition's difficulty, he added, "It's the most difficult probably, because in a tournament of 32, you have to be the best. But it's a target, and it's a road we want to go [down]."
The matchup against FC Twente carries a personal note for ten Hag, given his extensive connections with the Dutch club. "Well, there's a great deal of connections to and fro between MUFC and FC Twente," he commented. He reflected on his relationships with Rene Hake and Ruud van Nistelrooy, as well as the shared experiences with various Ajax players that have touched both clubs.
Ten Hag revealed mixed emotions about facing Twente, expressing a sense of reluctance at competing against a familiar and beloved entity. "I would have preferred to have played against somebody else [other than Twente]. It's not nice to have to hurt something you love," he admitted.
