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Europa League | Group Stage
Dec 8, 2016 at 6pm UK
 
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Jose Mourinho unhappy with "icy" Zorya Luhansk pitch

Mourinho unhappy with Zorya pitch
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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho criticises UEFA for scheduling his side's crucial final Europa League group game in the icy conditions of Ukraine.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has criticised UEFA for scheduling his side's final Europa League group game in the icy conditions of Ukraine.

United go into Thursday night's meeting with Zorya Luhansk knowing that a point will be enough to guarantee their place in the knockout stages of the competition, while Zorya are already out.

However, the pitch at the Chornomorets Stadium is currently frozen in places and patchy in others, and Mourinho is unhappy with the tournament's governing body for allowing the match to be played so late in the year.

"The pitch is very hard, the pitch is very icy. Called off the game? I think UEFA know the conditions of the pitch and everybody knows that in mid-December the conditions in Ukraine and Eastern Europe are more difficult," he told reporters.

"So if UEFA was worried about it, they should change the fixtures and not allow the last fixtures to be played in mid-December. If the fifth fixture is the last fixture here, it would be the end of November and not mid-December, so I think that's the problem.

"I think the stadium is beautiful, it's new, it's well taken care of. The pitch is the same. They are trying, they are putting some warmth on the top of it, but the pitch is very difficult and people cannot make miracles. Let's hope everything goes well."

United could still win their group if they better Fenerbahce's result against Feyenoord, although defeat coupled with a Feyenoord win would send them crashing out of the competition.

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Shakhtar players celebrate a goal during the Europa League quarter-final between Shakhtar Donetsk and Braga on April 14, 2016
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

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Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


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