Noussair Mazraoui delivered a blunt assessment of his "painful" debut Manchester United season as the Red Devils gear up for the Europa League final.
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Mazraoui joined Man Utd for £12.8mWon three league titles with Ajax and one with BayernHas suffered since joining the Red DevilsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
For Mazraoui, who arrived from Bayern Munich in a €15 million (£12.8m/$17m) deal with potential add-ons of €5 million (£4.2m/$6m), the transition has been anything but smooth. He has built his career on consistent success, winning three Eredivisie titles with Ajax before lifting the Bundesliga trophy with Bayern.
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United currently languish in 16th place in the Premier League table, an unfamiliar position for a club of their stature. And given Mazraoui's previous experiences with Bayern and Ajax, adjusting to a team fighting in the lower half of the Premier League has been a jarring experience.
WHAT MAZRAOUI SAID
"Am I hurting? Of course, I am," Mazraoui admitted to reporters. "I come from clubs where I'm not used to losing, I will never get used to losing whereever I am as well as here. It's a painful moment but life is sometimes painful and you just have to go through it."
Despite their struggles domestically, United are still in contention for silverware in Europe. A victory over Spurs in the Europa League final would not only add a trophy to the cabinet but also grant them access to next season’s Champions League – a much-needed boost both financially and in terms of prestige. However, Mazraoui was clear that European success wouldn’t mask the shortcomings of the Premier League campaign.
"The Europa League season will be a success, the PL season will still not be a success," he said. "Those are the facts. At the end you pay a price. There are both sides. There are a lot of competition you play in, in PL you play week in, week out so eventually people will set their opinion more according to the Premier League."
DID YOU KNOW?
While the Mazraoui remains realistic about the team’s overall performance, he acknowledges the emotional value a Europa League triumph would bring.
"It would be less painful, your pain will be less, you get a hug for yourself. That's basically it," he admitted. "It's a hard season, this is my first in the Premier League without a winter break, playing almost every single minute I've played more than in any season, physically it's very demanding, but mentally as well."
