By Andrew Warshaw
August 6 – The Europa League may be the poorer sister of the Champions League but before it is has even got into its stride this season, UEFA’s number two club competition is splitting opinion about whether it worth prioritising – and not just among fans.
West Ham’s Croatian manager Slaven Bilic has left the majority of his first team at home for tonight’s third qualifying round second leg against Romania’s Astra Giurgiu, seemingly in order not to incur injuries or fatigue ahead of this weekend’s big Premier League kickoff.
The Hammers, who entered the competition via UEFA’s Fair Play table, face possible elimination after a first-leg 2-2 draw but Bilic says he has made his decision in the best interests of the club. “We want to show respect but not to jeopardise the more important competition,” he said.
However another top-flight manager, Southampton’s Ronald Koeman, says he won’t be taking the same “crazy” approach even though his team leads 3-0 against Vitesse Arnhem.
With the Europa League gaining a Champions League spot for the winner as well as providing different styles of opposition, Koeman believes it represents invaluable experience for his players.
“”We have to respect for the competition because we did a great season last year and we played for the Europa League over 38 games in the Premier League. It is a crazy thing to think about …throwing everything away in the start of the Europa League legs,” he said.
“I am a person who likes to win always and I hate losing. I hate to lose and my players need that mentality as well.”
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