but this is the first step towards achieving bigger things,” said Pochettino before his departure was announced by Chelsea on Tuesday.Newcastle dined at the top table with European royalty during 2023-24, playing AC Milan, Paris St-Germain and eventual finalists Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.So a place in next season’s Conference League might, on paper at least, feel a little underwhelming.But Eddie Howe overcame an injury list from hell to keep Newcastle’s season alive, and a place in Europe – whatever the competition – will be seen by many as an achievement.Right now, Newcastle will not be playing in Europe but that could all change on Saturday.If Manchester City win at Wembley, Newcastle can start planning for the Conference League.”We would love the opportunity to play in Europe again,” Magpies boss Eddie Howe told BBC Sport.”It is important for the dynamic of the club, we want to be in these competitions.”But it’s not in our hands and we’ll just have to take the consequences of what happens in the FA Cup final.”Everything changes if Manchester United, who finished 31 points behind Manchester City in the league, produce a surprise and win the FA Cup.The Red Devils would play in the Europa League, Chelsea in the Conference League and Newcastle would miss out.But it’s a big if.City have won six of the past seven meetings between the two sides – including last season’s FA Cup final – scoring 21 times and conceding eight.The last time United failed to play in Europe was the 2014-15 season, after they finished seventh the season before.Since then they have reached two Europa League finals, defeating Ajax in the final to win it under Jose Mourinho in 2017 and finishing runners-up to Villarreal under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021.”I’m not thinking about a negative scenario,” said Ten Hag, when asked about United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.”We have the opportunity to qualify for the Europa League, and it is in our own hands so we need to go for it.”I’m thinking positive. I’m a positive man and it’s in our own hands, so we have to go for it.”)|(user:Make the title 60 characthers long and SEO optimized and dont add any quotation marks, mkae it simple and understandable. )))” config=”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”]