Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata says the players were proud to win the Europa League in a difficult week for the city.

Mata wrote for his personal blog: "It was nice to share with all of you in Stockholm a good game and the joy of adding more silverware to United's trophy cabinet.

"The road wasn't neither short nor easy, but we finally got our goal, so next season we will play in the Champions League, which is what this club deserves and where we all want to be. Ajax was a tough opponent (it's very brave to give so much confidence to so many young players in a team, so credit to them for that). However, I think we deserved to win because ever since the first minute of the final we had a very clear idea of what we wanted and we performed as an experienced, well-prepared team.

"Obviously the atmosphere was different due to the terrible attack in Manchester just two days before the final, but that circumstance, instead of making us weak, gave us more courage to try to win and offer the title to the city, something to celebrate and to cheer up many people, at least for a few hours. I'll never forget the reactions that we've seen all these days everywhere in the city (union, solidarity, respect, and many more values that make Manchester such a special place), and the ability of football to bring people together, to help, to contribute, beyond rivalries and tensions. "