Verdict for the Devils

Manchester United won the English Championship

Manchester United took the title of English champions from Chelsea. After the Blues failed to beat Arsenal, Manchester United's lead over Jose Mourinho's team in the standings became insurmountable. But the Red Devils were in no hurry to celebrate the championship for a couple of hours after the end of the Chelsea match: the management of the English Premier League could deduct from United the points they won in the game with Everton. In the end, everything worked out for Sir Alex Ferguson's team - Manchester United can celebrate their 16th title ahead of schedule.

The match of the last round of the Red Devils with Everton aroused interest in the English Premier League for good reason. Let us remind you that Manchester United are in it until the 60th minute. was inferior in the score 0:2, but in the end won – 4:2. The Guardian immediately explained this compliance of the hosts with special clauses in Rooney’s contract: the transfer agreement for the forward’s transfer from Everton to Manchester United included additional bonuses in the amount of half a million pounds, which United had to pay to the Merseysiders in the event of their championship .

According to The Guardian, there are many more bonuses included in the contract, thanks to which Everton can earn more than £1 million from the success of Manchester United. But it was not this contract that interested the Premier League. The transfer of former Red Devils goalkeeper Tim Howard to Everton has raised questions. The American goalkeeper, who is the undisputed number one for the Merseysiders, did not appear in the lineup for the match with Manchester United. Information immediately spread that Howard was not allowed to play against his former club by one of the clauses in his contract. However, the rules of the English Premier League prohibit the inclusion of such conditions in transfer agreements. If the information about Howard had been confirmed, Manchester United and Everton could have been fined several points. But after a meeting with the clubs' lawyers, Premier League leaders said on Monday night that they were satisfied with the explanations and would not proceed with the case. Manchester United were finally declared champions.

“This is a fantastic day for the club and the fans, it’s been an amazing season for them,” Ferguson immediately made an appeal on television. Sir Alex's joy was not even overshadowed by the recent elimination from the Champions League. “A few years ago I always had an obsession with winning everything in Europe,” admitted the Manchester United coach and explained why he no longer dreams of it: “I think that the Premier League is now the strongest championship on the continent."

In this strongest championship, United was, if not much, higher than Chelsea. And the question of how Roman Abramovich’s club will change in the coming off-season will become the main one after the celebrations regarding Manchester United’s championship have subsided. So far, neither the club owner nor Jose Mourinho have openly discussed their future plans. But the Portuguese, after the final whistle of the game against Arsenal, acted as if he was saying goodbye to the team. Mourinho approached each of his players and later thanked the stands for the season with applause. “Today I feel perhaps even more proud of my guys than in the championship years. My players are real heroes. They had a great season, absolutely everything,” Mourinho continued to say nice words to his players after the match, recalling the personnel problems that plagued his team for almost the entire championship and how he lacked defensive players.

Mourinho has been talking all year about the fact that he is not getting the players he needs. It is believed that on this basis the Portuguese quarreled with Roman Abramovich. And one of the reasons was the purchase of Andrei Shevchenko by Chelsea - it seems that Mourinho had been telling the owner of the club for a whole year how much he needed a Ukrainian striker, and as soon as he received him, he immediately began to doubt the feasibility of this acquisition. As a result, Shevchenko, who set Chelsea's transfer record last May, had perhaps the worst season of his career: four goals in 21 league matches is not a result for one of the best scorers in Europe. Now, most English journalists agree that someone - Shevchenko or Mourinho - will still have to leave Chelsea this summer.

For the Ukrainian forward, who is even being wooed to Barcelona, the season is over due to injury. But Mourinho still has work to do - two face-to-face meetings with Manchester United. Tomorrow in the first of them, moved from the 34th round, the bet will be only three meaningless points and a little coaching vanity. But on May 19, in the FA Cup final, Chelsea will have a chance to win at least this trophy. Jose Mourinho has already lost his war against Sir Alex. But the last battle can still be won.

Results of the matches of the 37th round. Manchester City - Manchester United - 0:1, Everton - Portsmouth - 3:0, Fulham - Liverpool - 1:0, Newcastle - Blackburn -- 0:2, Reading -- Watford -- 0:2, West Ham -- Bolton -- 3:1, Wigan -- Middlesbrough -- 0:1, " Aston Villa - Sheffield United - 3:0, Arsenal - Chelsea - 1:1.

English Premier LeagueI V N P M O

1. Manchester United	36	28	4	4	83--26	88
2. Chelsea	36	24	9	3	63--23	81
3. Liverpool	37	20	7	10	55--25	67
4. Arsenal	37	19	10	8	63--35	67
5. Everton	37	15	12	10	51--35	57
6. Bolton	37	16	7	14	45--50	55
7. Reading	37	16	6	15	49--44	54
8. Portsmouth	37	14	11	12	45--42	53
9. Tottenham	35	15	8	12	52--52	53
10. Blackburn	36	15	5	16	48--50	50
11. Aston Villa	37	11	16	10	41--39	49
12. Middlesbrough	37	11	10	16	41--48	43
13. Newcastle	37	11	9	17	37--46	42
14. Manchester City	37	11	9	17	28--42	42
15. Fulham	37	8	15	14	37--57	39
16. Sheffield United	37	10	8	19	31--53	38
17. West Ham	37	11	5	21	34--59	38
18. Wigan	37	9	8	20	35--58	35
19. Charlton	36	8	9	19	32--56	33
20. Watford	37	5	12	20	28--58	27

Andrey VDOVIN