Villarreal icon Senna insists Europa League fairytale against Man Utd would not have happened with European Super League

VILLARREAL legend Marcos Senna reckons his side's fairytale Euro triumph proves why the European Super League isn’t needed.

In May the Spanish minnows beat Manchester United in a penalty shoot out to seal the unlikeliest of Europa League final wins.

It was a triumph that would never be possible if talk of an elite, closed-shop European Super League ever came to fruition.

And Senna, one of the club’s all-time greats, is convinced that should be enough to make sure any future plans are KO’d once and for all.

The Brazilian-born former midfielder, who spent 11 years at the club, said: "You have to win and deserve things on the pitch, not in the offices. We beat United with the ball.

"A Super League would take the shine off what football is all about and I’m so glad it’s not going ahead. We would have been so annoyed if it had."

Senna, a 2008 Euros winner after taking out Spanish citizenship and now a Villarreal director, will be at Old Trafford tonight when the sides meet in the Champions League.

And he insists that Unai Emery’s team are coming to England convinced they can pull off another famous victory. He added: "A draw wouldn’t be bad, but the obligation to win.

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"United are coming off the back of a defeat, which makes things more difficult for us, but we have the opportunity to make a very important leap in Europe.

"I haven’t spoken to Unai about tactics, but he has clear ideas and always wants to go out to win. I don’t think he’s coming to Old Trafford to lock himself in or protect the team.

"We have great players and we have to try to go out for the game. United are a great team but our best defence is a good attack.

"The plan is to go to Old Trafford, compete and not give up on anything. We’ve been to their ground twice and drawn both times, so if it’s three points, then great.

"It’s a source of great pride for the city to meet a world-class team. And we know we’ll be up to the task and compete.

"At Villarreal we dream of getting through the group stage, enjoying it, going far and trying to get back into the Champions League next season. We want to stay in the elite."