Sheffield United losing the 2025 playoff final to Sunderland still angers Anel Ahmedhodžić, who feels it was a bad day for him personally and a somewhat unfair result.
When the Championship season finished, Sheffield United were 14 points ahead of Sunderland and had therefore clearly been the better side. However, the play-offs are a totally different challenge, with momentum continually changing.
For Sheffield United to miss out on promotion to the Premier League was a sliding doors moment for the club. They may well have struggled in the Premier League this season but it would have given a financial boost and at least a chance.
As it stands, the Yorkshire club are bottom of the Championship. They have just three points after nine matches.
Meanwhile, Sunderland are ninth in the Premier League and confidence is continually growing that they’ll be able to swerve relegation. Therefore, the club can build further and try to establish a top flight future.
“VAR ruined the goal for nothing”
Anel Ahmedhodžić, now at Feyenoord, isn’t happy looking back at what led to it all.
Speaking to Fotbollskanalen, he said: “It was a special year because two teams got a hundred points and we got 90, and we had started the season with -2 as well. The last time we went up we did it on 91, so points-wise it was a good year. At the same time, it was a week where we lost three games in a row against bottom teams, and that ruined everything. But at the same time, Leeds and Burnley had done well, they had a super season
“Then came the play-off final. We were leading 1-0 and should have been 2-0, but VAR ruined the goal for nothing. Now that I look at it, I don’t see anything that could have ruined the goal. So they made it 1-1, and in the 90th minute I got an elbow in the head from a teammate. I got a concussion, they took me off and then they made it 2-1. Yes, I felt really bad that day. Both because of the result and the concussion.”
