LONDON • Manchester United's season ended on the lowest possible note, with their failure to qualify for the Champions League and no silverware to show for, and they could have started next term just as chaotically.
That was the nightmare facing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if Watford had beaten Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, which would have resulted in his side entering the Europa League second qualifying round on July 25.
It would have thrown their pre-season plans, including the International Champions Cup (ICC) Singapore event at the National Stadium, into disarray, with United set to play Inter Milan on July 20.
But City did their cross-town rivals a favour by thrashing the Hornets 6-0 at Wembley, ensuring that seventh-placed Wolves will now go into the second qualifying stage, with United, who finished sixth in the Premier League, booking their group-stage berth.
Nuno Espirito Santo's players will be playing in Europe for the first time since 1980.
This season's Europa League final will be between Arsenal and Chelsea on May 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the winner guaranteed Champions League football.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan Football Association general secretary Elkhan Mammadov has promised that "there will not be any problem for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to travel to Baku".
Speculation remains rife that Arsenal will have to leave the forward, who is also Armenia's captain, behind in London.
There have been no diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia since the 1994 Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Mkhitaryan missed Arsenal's Europa League group game against Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag last October over safety fears.
Armenian citizens are currently barred from entering Azerbaijan. Exceptions have been made for certain athletes, but none have had the same profile as Mkhitaryan.
Silva unfazed by 'snake' taunts from angry Watford fans
MANCHESTER UNITED should sack Jose Mourinho for Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane because of Paul Pogba and the fans' desire to see more attacking football at Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho: What next for sacked Man United boss? - Sportstar
Singapore international striker Ikhsan Fandi moved to Europe with Raufoss IL earlier this year and the 20-year-old has now scored his first goal in the Norwegian First Division in stunning fashion!
Ikhsan Fandi scores first competitive goal for Norwegian club
Barcelona could without the services of a number of first-team stars for Saturday's Copa del Rey final against Valencia, according to manager Ernesto Valverde. The Barca boss already had problems before Sunday's final day 2-2 draw against at Eibar with Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho amongst those absent from the squad.
Video: Malcom goal and assist for Barcelona vs Villarreal
MADRID (AFP) - Zinedine Zidane will make a shock return as coach of Real Madrid after the club decided on Monday to sack Santiago Solari, say reports in the Spanish press.. Read more at
Football: Zidane set for shock Real Madrid return, reports say
A recently uncovered piece of sophisticated malware targeting Linux provides attackers with remote control of the infected systems, Intezer's security researchers have discovered. Called HiddenWasp, the threat is active and enjoys zero-detection rate in all major anti-virus systems, the
The Kemba Walker Free-Agency Paradox | Bleacher Report
Bayern Munich win Bundesliga title for seventh successive season - Times of India 2 weeks ago MUNICH (Germany): Bayern Munich received a record-extending seventh consecutive Bundesliga identify on Saturday after crushing Eintracht Frankfurt five-1 to end two points forward of rivals Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern Munich win seventh consecutive Bundesliga title | Goal.com
Football: Marouane Fellaini leaves Man United for China's Shandong and wishes him well for the future as he completes his move to Shandong Luneng Taishan FC in China," said a statement on
Marouane Fellaini leaves Man Utd for China's Shandong
A small village in Argentina on Saturday bid farewell to a favorite son, the soccer striker Emiliano Sala, who died along with his pilot last month when his small plane crashed in the English Channel.Friends, family and supporters gathered early Saturday in the village of Progreso, in the country's northeast, for a wake at Mr. Sala's soccer boyhood club, San Martín de Progreso, where his body
Emiliano Sala's Grieving Argentine Hometown Bids Farewell
Manchester United fullback Diogo Dalot is adamant they can score at Barcelona.United fell to a 1-0 defeat in the first-leg of their Champions League quarterfina Man Utd know we can score in
Fergie: We can match Barca | FOX Sports
Qatar will not take a decision on whether to expand its 2022 World Cup to 48 teams from 32 until it has seen the details of a feasibility study from FIFA, an official from the country's World Cup
Qatar won't decide on 48-team World Cup until it's seen FIFA
Furious Messi says son asks why Argentines criticize him An uncharacteristically angry Lionel Messi revealed on Friday how he struggles to deal with criticism of his performances for Argentina
Angry Messi says son questions why Argentines criticise him
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An uncharacteristically angry Lionel Messi revealed on Friday how he struggles to deal with criticism of his performances for Argentina's national team, saying that even his six-year-old son was questioning why he was judged so harshly in his country.
Angry Messi says son questions why Argentines criticize him
Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian captain Thiago Silva has been granted French citizenship, he announced on Twitter on Friday. The 34-year-old's decision means PSG have an extra space in their squad for a non-EU player. Silva has played 274 games since joining the reigning Ligue 1 champions in 2012 and has 77 caps for Brazil.
PSG captain Thiago Silva receives French citizenship
Early FA Cup exit is not an advantage, insists Liverpool boss Klopp By Chris Smith Jurgen Klopp has insisted Liverpool's FA Cup exit does not give them an advantage in the Premier League title race.
Ruben Neves stunner from 25 yards hands Jurgen Klopp's side
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