There will be a tifo approved by Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes on display when the club welcome Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford for the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg on Thursday.
This was made known in a statement by the club on Tuesday as the Red Devils prepare to have an atmosphere for the match which Ruben Amorim’s side lead 3-0 from the first leg.
“Another historic Old Trafford atmosphere is required on Thursday when Manchester United hope to reach the Europa League final,” the club said in the statement. “Anew tifo banner is being prepared by the club and fan groups after the proposal was approved by captain Bruno Fernandes.”
Manchester United stated further that the exact design of the tifo will not be revealed until Thursday night with the intention being ‘to preserve the impact of the moment.’
The tifo will be positioned on the halfway line in front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, and will be hoisted from the ground to the roof with colourful pyrotechnics blasting into the sky on either side as players of both sides make their way from the tunnel.
This is the second appearance of a tifo banner at Old Trafford, after the first in our stadium’s history was unveiled before the quarter-final second leg against Lyon.