Cavani excited by 'fiery and passionate' fans
Edinson Cavani scored a world-class goal during his first and only match in front of Manchester United fans so far, so the no.7 is understandably excited to see them in the stands again this week.
Exactly 10,000 supporters returned to Old Trafford for last week’s Premier League game against Fulham and they were treated to a genuine moment of magic, after our South American striker chipped a beautiful finish over the visitors' goalkeeper.
Cavani has become one of our most popular players during his first season as a Red and that is quite remarkable, when you consider 37 of his 38 appearances so far have been played behind closed doors.
Barring any selection surprises, Edinson is expected to start on Wednesday night when United take on Villarreal in the Europa League final and the occasion provides another opportunity to shine in front of a crowd, with a small section of travelling Reds due to be there in Gdansk, Poland.
Cavani has become one of our most popular players during his first season as a Red and that is quite remarkable, when you consider 37 of his 38 appearances so far have been played behind closed doors.
Barring any selection surprises, Edinson is expected to start on Wednesday night when United take on Villarreal in the Europa League final and the occasion provides another opportunity to shine in front of a crowd, with a small section of travelling Reds due to be there in Gdansk, Poland.
All The Angles: Cavani v Fulham Video
All The Angles: Cavani v Fulham
All The Angles | In May 2021, Edinson Cavani marked our fans' return to OT with this stunning long-range finish...
“I’ve always said that football is all about the people who make it happen and experience it with this passion which they give to you in a stadium,” Edinson explains, in an interview for UEFA.
“It’s pure passion over the 90 minutes, the connection between the player and the fan. All of these months with no fans has been tough. It’s been a loss to what the essence of football is, and I think the fact that now the fans will be coming back to the stadiums gradually will help a lot.
“All the more so at a team like Manchester United, which has a fiery and passionate fanbase. I think it will be great. Let’s hope that everything starts to go back to normal.”
“It’s pure passion over the 90 minutes, the connection between the player and the fan. All of these months with no fans has been tough. It’s been a loss to what the essence of football is, and I think the fact that now the fans will be coming back to the stadiums gradually will help a lot.
“All the more so at a team like Manchester United, which has a fiery and passionate fanbase. I think it will be great. Let’s hope that everything starts to go back to normal.”
Wednesday’s final also pits United against Cavani’s former Paris Saint-Germain head coach Unai Emery and the 34-year-old has plenty of respect for the now Villarreal boss, as he explained to UEFA.
“From the moment Unai arrived at Paris, he showed his passion for football,” says Edinson. “I really liked his way of working; he is a coach who’s going to work a lot and prepare really well for the Europa League final. He’s definitely going to analyse it very well.
“From the moment Unai arrived at Paris, he showed his passion for football,” says Edinson. “I really liked his way of working; he is a coach who’s going to work a lot and prepare really well for the Europa League final. He’s definitely going to analyse it very well.
“I know from my own experience that it’s the small details that determine these kinds of games; they are won in the small aspects, and for that you need to be very focused.
“You have to play a perfect match. I know that Unai is like that: he’s a hard-working coach. And that is why he has won titles, trophies wherever he’s worked.”
The 2021 Europa League final kicks off at 20:00 BST on Wednesday.
“You have to play a perfect match. I know that Unai is like that: he’s a hard-working coach. And that is why he has won titles, trophies wherever he’s worked.”
The 2021 Europa League final kicks off at 20:00 BST on Wednesday.