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Borussia Dortmund loanee Jadon Sancho may prevent his parent club Manchester United from qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Having signed for Man United in 2021 from Dortmund, Sancho struggled to adjust to life at Old Trafford, unable to nail a spot in the starting 11 under Erik ten Hag.
The player made life for himself at United all the more difficult when he fell out with Ten Hag after an inflammatory post on social media claiming that lies had been made about his conduct in training.
After failing to make amends with Ten Hag on numerous occasions, Sancho was exiled from the first team, ultimately securing a loan move back to his former club during the winter transfer window.
Since returning to the Bundesliga, the 23-year-old appears to have rediscovered his form, regularly appearing in Dortmund’s starting lineup and contributing two goals and two assists in 17 matches in all competitions.
While his final product may somewhat be lacking, Sancho has proven critical for Dortmund in several major fixtures, including a crucial 2-0 win over fierce rivals Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
Just last night, the English winger lifted Dortmund to another emphatic win, this time a 4-2 triumph over Atletico Madrid to advance to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Even more impressively, the Bundesliga club overturned a 2-1 deficit in order to advance.
Although many clubs would rejoice when their players on loan excel and thus prove their potential, Sancho’s contributions to Dortmund’s success may cause United more harm than good.
With United’s chances of finishing within the top four in the Premier League, the club’s chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League appear to have all but evaporated. Still, there is one way that they could still qualify through the backdoor.
Should England rise to the top of the UEFA coefficient standings, then the Premier League would earn an additional Champions League qualification spot, meaning United could still qualify by finishing fifth.
Unfortunately, as The Mirror explained, Sancho may have just prevented this outcome from arising.
Dortmund’s advancement to the semi-finals means that while Italy remains atop the UEFA coefficient rankings at 18.428, Germany stands at 17.214, meaning both countries will earn an additional Champions League spot if the rankings do not change.
Although Sancho may have played a part in this eventuality should it arise, it would not be prudent to blame him entirely for United’s failure to qualify.
Ultimately, Erik ten Hag’s side has declined drastically this season. Having finished third in the Premier League during their previous campaign, United have struggled to even hold onto a Europa League qualification spot, slipping to seventh place in the Premier League following a disappointing draw with Bournemouth.
Now, the club will hope to progress in the FA Cup as a last way to save face following a season that many United fans would rather soon forget.
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