Man Utd, Spurs fight for Europa League, Champions League spot

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur meet in the Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday, with both clubs eyeing a vital route into next season’s Champions League after historically poor Premier League campaigns.

Between them, the two sides have suffered 39 league defeats this season, with 20-time champions United languishing in a humiliating 16th place and Spurs just one spot above the relegation zone in 17th.

Yet, come the final whistle at San Mamés Stadium, one club will celebrate not only a prestigious European trophy but also a financial windfall potentially exceeding £100 million ($134 million).

Ruben Amorim, in his first season at Old Trafford, acknowledges that winning the trophy will not resolve United’s deep-rooted issues but admits it would significantly lift spirits.

“We have bigger challenges to address to restore this club to its former glory,” the 40-year-old said ahead of the match in northern Spain. “But winning a European title would change how people perceive our team.”

The former Sporting Lisbon manager emphasised that Champions League revenue is not crucial to United’s future due to the club’s global stature.

However, football finance expert Kieran Maguire describes the match as “the most important in the club’s history” in financial terms, with the prize money providing vital funds for a squad rebuild amid financial difficulties.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese manager’s position appears secure regardless of the outcome, despite United facing their worst league finish in half a century.

In contrast, many believe Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, 59, is likely to depart irrespective of whether he ends the club’s 17-year trophy drought.

“I’ve told the players from day one, nothing is guaranteed in life or sport,” said the former Australia and Celtic coach. “You must seize every opportunity, and that’s what I’ve always done.”

Postecoglou, in his second season at Spurs, feels he has unfinished business in London and views winning the Europa League as a potential “turning point” for the club.

“Until you actually win it, people will say you’ve faltered on the big stage,” he remarked earlier this month.

Tottenham, who last won silverware in the 2008 League Cup, have lifted the Europa League twice before when it was known as the UEFA Cup but not since 1984.

The final, the sixth all-English European final in history, is too close to call. Spurs have beaten United three times this season twice in the Premier League and once in the League Cup.

However, three-time European champions United, chasing their first continental triumph since the 2016/17 Europa League, boast recent trophy-winning pedigree, having secured the League Cup and FA Cup under former manager Erik ten Hag.

Since 2 February, the only league victories for either club have come against teams destined for relegation or against each other. Yet both have maintained winning form in the Europa League.

United remain unbeaten in European competition this season, reaching the final with a 7-1 aggregate victory over Athletic Bilbao, denying the Spanish side a dream final on home soil.

Tottenham advanced comfortably past Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt with a 5-1 aggregate score.

United’s key players include captain Bruno Fernandes and the experienced Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid.

Tottenham confirmed on Tuesday that midfielder Lucas Bergvall will miss the final due to injury, with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski also sidelined.

AFP