Share

Allardyce backs Mourinho over 'lack of help'

London - Sam Allardyce backed Jose Mourinho's complaint about the Premier League failing to move Manchester United's match against Crystal Palace to help their preparations for the Europa League final.

United finish their league campaign at home to Palace on Sunday, three days before they face Ajax in the Europa League final in Stockholm.

Regardless of the result at the weekend, United will finish sixth while Palace cannot be relegated.

Following United's goalless draw at Southampton on Wednesday, Mourinho said the Palace match should have been brought forward at least a day to give his side the best chance against Ajax.

"They (the Premier League) could easily have changed it last week and said, 'We will give you the best chance to try to win the Europa League,'" Allardyce said Thursday.

"It's a great shame that we are not like other countries, who will bend over in fixture terms to help their teams win European competitions."

The former England manager added: "We've all been moaning about the fact we're not getting anywhere near the Champions League or we're not getting anyone winning the Europa League.

"When you look at Jose's fixture list, this will be his 63rd game (of the season) on Sunday."

Mourinho said after Southampton that he saw no point in making a last-minute plea to league chiefs to move the game and plans to blood several youngsters against Palace.

Allardyce, asked if he too would field a weakened team were he in Mourinho's position, replied: "No doubt about that. The XI that play at Stockholm would probably not feature at all in this last game."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE