Tottenham

Ange Postecoglou spoke of his intense pride at his two-year stint as Tottenham Hotspur manager after it ended with him being sacked by the Premier League club.

The 59-year-old Australian took the club to their first trophy for 17 years last month when Tottenham beat Manchester United to win the Europa League.

But the club axed him on Friday after their worst top-flight campaign since 1976-77, finishing one place above the Premier League’s relegation zone after losing 22 games.

“When I reflect on my time as Manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride,” he said in a statement released shortly after his dismissal was confirmed.

“The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.

“That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.”

Postecoglou spoke in the build-up to the Europa League final about changing the way the club is perceived, and he said his accomplishments should ensure that Tottenham will not have to wait so long for their next trophy.

“We have laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success,” he said. “I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.”

While Tottenham fans were split over Postecoglou’s future, he had a message for the supporters.

“I sincerely want to thank those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters,” he said. “I know there were some difficult times but I always felt that they wanted me to succeed and that gave me all the motivation I needed to push on.

“And finally, I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special. We are forever connected.”

The 59-year-old ultimately paid the price for a horrendous Premier League season, which saw Tottenham finish 17th.

“The Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place,” Tottenham said in a statement.

“Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season.”

Postecoglou leaves two years to the day after his appointment and 16 days after his side beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao for the club’s first silverware since 2008, a win that also put them in next season’s Champions League.

The former Celtic manager has had to face questions over his future for several months, yet delivered on his claim early last season that he always wins a trophy in his second season in a job.

He also took Tottenham to the League Cup semifinal, but their league campaign was their worst since the last time the club suffered relegation from the top flight, in 1976-77.

Several of the club’s first team have voiced their support for Postecoglou since beating United, but chairman Daniel Levy is now searching for his fifth full-time manager in six years since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked in 2019.

“At times there were extenuating circumstances — injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign,” the club said. “Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.”

Several managers have been linked to the Tottenham job, including Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner.

Postecoglou will walk away with his pride intact and a handsome bonus, but his recent comment to fans at the Europa League victory parade that the third season of a TV series is always better than the second now looks hollow.

It all started so well for Postecoglou. He began the 2023-24 campaign by guiding Tottenham to their best start to a top-flight season since the 1961 title-winning team.

That form soon dipped, and despite finishing fifth in his first campaign, the momentum had long since gone.

This season, Tottenham earned only 38 points and lost 22 top-flight matches. They managed five points from their last 12 league games, and the only win they earned during that run was against a Southampton side who narrowly avoided becoming statistically the worst team ever in the Premier League.

Postecoglou has pointed to a long injury list, which denied him the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Son Heung-min for significant periods.

But while it has clearly been one of long-serving chairman Levy’s toughest calls, he has concluded that Postecoglou is not the man to lead the club forward.

“We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision,” the club statement said.

“We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future — he will always be welcome back at our home.”

Tottenham’s decision to sack the man who guided them to a first trophy since 2008 will divide opinion across their fanbase.

He becomes the fourth Spurs manager – after Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte – to lose his job since Pochettino was sacked in November 2019, less than four months after taking them to the Champions League final.

Postecoglou’s reign began in spectacular fashion, despite the exit of the club’s all-time leading scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.

Spurs set the pace in the early stages of the 2023-24 Premier League season by taking 26 points from their first 10 games, with former Australia boss Postecoglou winning three consecutive manager of the month awards.

But five defeats in their final seven matches cost them a spot in the Champions League 12 months ago, and things continued to unravel – Europe aside – in 2024-25.

Postecoglou, who was initially praised for the attacking style he implemented, was forced to defend himself from criticism for sticking to his principles and had to contend with a catalogue of injuries to key players.

Aside from their run to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, where they were thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool after taking a slender one-goal lead to Anfield, they have struggled in domestic competition.

Since 6 November 2023, Spurs have collected 78 points from 66 top-flight games – the 16th best record in the Premier League.

They scored 64 goals last season – as many as fourth-placed Chelsea, and more than Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in sixth and seventh – but conceded 65, with only Wolves and the relegated trio of Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton shipping more.

West Brom have appointed Ryan Mason as their head coach.

The Championship side, who dismissed Tony Mowbray on 21 April, opened talks with Mason, 33, last week and he arrives at the Hawthorns on a three-year deal.

It brings a seven-year coaching career at Tottenham to an end for Mason, who progressed through the club’s academy to also play 70 times for his boyhood team.

“This is a huge club with a fantastic infrastructure and an incredible fanbase, and I am excited about what we can achieve together,” said Mason.

“Having spoken at length to the board and those at the club I am convinced that Albion is the perfect place for me to be and I can’t wait to get started.

“I will bring with me a huge amount of enthusiasm, dedication and ambition, and look forward to a positive future together at such a fantastic club.”

Ange Postecoglou says his team have had an “outstanding” season by winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League, depite their 4-1 defeat by Brighton leaving Tottenham finishing the Premier League campaign in 17th place.

MATCH REPORT: Tottenham Hotspur 1-4 Brighton & Hove Albion

Available to UK users only.

TOTTENHAM fans will welcome home their Europa League winners back to North London TODAY.

The Spurs faithful have flocked onto the streets to witness Ange Postecoglou‘s side parade the European trophy that ended their 17-year wait for silverware.

The parade will run from Edmonton Green, past the stadium, loop around Northumberland Park and then return to the ground.

• Start time: From 5.30pm BST
• FREE live stream: Tottenham’s official YouTube channel

Follow our live blog below…

TOTTENHAM stars are set for a big payday after their Europa League triumph.

Brennan Johnson created history by scoring the only goal in Bilbao to beat Manchester United.

2

2

And in doing so he pocketed some extra cash for himself and his team-mates.

The Spurs squad have earned a big bonus for winning the Europa League.

Boss Ange Postecoglou will receive £2million for his role in the famous win, report the BBC.

While the squad will be given £3m to be divided between each player.

Some stars will also earned a pay rise if they have a Champions League qualification clause in their contract.

Tottenham will compete in Europe’s elite competition next season for the first time since 2022/23.

That means there could be an extra £100m in the coffers thanks to prize money, TV revenue and additional sponsorships.

Spurs’ Europa League win saw them scoop a £10.95m cash prize from Uefa.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

Tottenham’s qualification mean there will be six English teams competing in the Champions League next season.

Liverpool and Arsenal have booked their place which means Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will fight it out for the final three spots on Sunday.

Al Jazeera takes a look at financially-troubled Manchester United’s expensive Europa League final defeat by Spurs.

Manchester United’s decline on and off the field has been laid bare for a number of years but was placed in even sharper focus with their defeat by Tottenham in the Europa League final.

It was a zero-sum game on Wednesday: Winner goes into the Champions League – plus the UEFA Super Cup game in August – and loser is out of Europe next season and gets nothing.

Tottenham won a painfully drab match 1-0.

As football finance expert Kieran Maguire noted on Thursday, the defeat came despite United having higher revenue than Tottenham and spending 64% more on wages for a more expensively acquired squad of players. Tottenham also beat United twice in the Premier League this season, and in the domestic League Cup.

“If I was teaching this at management school (I) would conclude that there is something seriously wrong with the culture of the organisation… which is set by senior management,” Maguire wrote on X.

What are the financial costs to Man Utd?

Beyond the loss of sporting opportunities and reputational prestige, the club owned by the Glazer family from the United States and British billionaire industrialist Jim Ratcliffe has short-term and long-term financial hits ahead.

No Champions League play next season is an instant loss of at least 80 million euros ($90m), and approaching 150 million euros ($169m) for a run deep into the knockout stage.

United also misses out on the 4 million euros ($4.5m) Tottenham will get from UEFA for playing the Super Cup against the Champions League titleholder – either Inter Milan or Paris Saint-Germain – on August 13 at Udinese’s stadium in Italy. The winner gets a bonus of 1 million euros ($1.1m).

Can Man Utd recoup its losses in the FIFA Club World Cup?

After failing to qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup – which has a $1bn prize fund from FIFA and should pay more than $100m to a successful European team – United is now far behind in qualifying for the 2029 edition.

European teams qualify for the FIFA event only by being in the Champions League, either winning the title or building consistent results over four seasons.

United already will miss the entire first half of the 2024-28 qualifying period, and it is hard to project the team that last won the Premier League 12 years ago both qualifying for and then winning a Champions League title within three years.

What financial options do Man Utd have?

One clear solution to growing financial issues and the ability to comply with Premier League rules is selling the club’s best players, like captain Bruno Fernandes and out-of-favour forward Marcus Rashford, or its homegrown prospects. Some already earn high wages that are problematic for potential buyers.

A talent drain risks speeding a spiral of decline on and off the field if coach Ruben Amorim is left trying to rebuild with a weaker pool of players.

How do Man Utd match up to other clubs?

While United is still one of Europe’s highest-earning clubs, UEFA’s annual research shows its advantage is in decline, even though revenue was a club record 661.8 million pounds ($887m) last year.

A UEFA chart showed that over five years from 2019-24 – pre-COVID-19 through to the post-pandemic recovery in the football industry – United’s revenue grew at a slower rate than all of its biggest English rivals except Chelsea.

Will Man Utd’s revenue be affected?

Revenue now risks dropping, and another income cut is coming from falling to 16th in the Premier League standings with one round left on Sunday.

Premier League prize money based on final position in the standings means dropping from eighth a year ago to 16th is a difference of 22 million pounds ($29.5m) less.

It all adds up to another loss-making season after a 113.2 million pounds ($152m) deficit last season. The three previous years totaled losses of 236 million pounds ($316m).

Will Man Utd’s losses cost them further?

The Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) allow clubs to lose 105 million pounds ($140.7m) over a three-year period or face sanctions, though United can cite some exemptions.

Ratcliffe, who has operational control despite being a minority shareholder, is already the public face of unpopular cuts to jobs and staff benefits, and rising ticket prices for fans.

“This is not sustainable,” the club told fans in January, “and if we do not act now we are in danger of failing to comply with PSR/FFP (financial fair play) requirements in future years and significantly impacting our ability to compete on the pitch.”

No wonder, given how special it was for him and his club. The goal was Johnson’s 20th of the season for club and country – his best return in a single campaign – and gave Spurs their first piece of silverware since 2008.

“I’m so happy right now,” he said. “This season has not been good at all, not one of us players care about that now.

“This team has not won a trophy for 17 years, it means so much.

“All the fans get battered, we get battered for not winning a trophy. We had to get the first one. I’m so happy. Ever since I came here it has been ‘Tottenham, good team but can’t get it done’, but we got it done.”

Finding himself 17th in the Premier League was not what Johnson would have expected when he joined Spurs from Nottingham Forest for a fee in excess of £45m in the summer of 2023.

While his old club have been one of the stories of the season, challenging for a Champions League spot, his current employers and boss Ange Postecoglou have been ridiculed for their dismal domestic campaign.

But Johnson, who also scored in Spurs’ Europa League semi-final win over Bodo/Glimt, said he and his teammates owed Postecoglou a debt of gratitude for “trusting in us” over the course of a successful European campaign that defied their struggles in the Premier League.

“He has done his job,” said Johnson. “He said he wins in the second year and he has, if there’s ever a time for a mic drop, it’s now [when he speaks to the media].

“I can’t thank the manager enough for how much trust he has in us, and he has a really good way of getting us up for it.”

Johnson added: “Tottenham Hotspur being 17th in the Premier League is not good enough. We had an unbelievable Europa League run. The fans have been so good, home and away, and they had the edge over the United fans. They were all here an hour before the game, they got us through the game.”

“Seventeen years – nobody has done it, so let’s say with amazing players, [I am] probably a legend of the club.

“This is what I’ve always dreamed for. Today is the day it happened. I am the happiest man in the world.”

Spurs signed Son for a reported £22m after he scored 29 goals in 87 appearances for Leverkusen.

He came off the bench in the 67th minute against United to replace the injured Richarlison, his 454th appearance for Tottenham.

South Korea were beaten in the 2015 Asian Cup final, while Tottenham lost in the- the 2019 Champions League final and the 2021 Carabao Cup final.

“I felt the pressure,” Son said.

“I wanted it so badly. In the past seven days I was dreaming about this game every night. It finally happened and I can sleep easy now.”

Tottenham’s victory sparked emotional scenes among their fans, with the club set to have an open-top bus parade on Friday before their final Premier League game of the season at home to Brighton.

By winning the Europa League, Spurs will also have a chance to win the Uefa Super Cup when they face the Champions League winners, either Inter Milan or Paris-St Germain, on 13 August in Italy.

However, whether Postecoglou is still in charge of the club then is unknown.

“I would be disappointed if we don’t continue on this path,” he added in the post-match news conference. “It is difficult to buy into one person’s vision. I have been a serial winner. I know people dismiss what I have won because it didn’t happen here, but they were hard earned.

“There is huge relief. You carry the weight of responsibility and 150 times I have been a spokesman for this club.

“There are no planned meetings. I’ll go back to my hotel room with friends and family, open up a nice bottle of scotch, a massive parade on Friday, game on Sunday against Brighton and then holiday. Then que sera, sera.”

Postecoglou joined Tottenham in June 2023, having won five trophies in two seasons at Celtic, including back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles.

In September, he said he “always wins things in his second season,” a statement which was true when he had been in charge of clubs for two full seasons.

He maintained that record in Bilbao and said: “People misinterpreted me. It was not me boasting, just me making a declaration and I believed it. I had this thing inside me more than anything else.

“I know our league form has been unacceptable, but coming third was not going to change this football club, winning a trophy would, that was my ambition and I was prepared to wear it if it did not happen.

“People kept reminding me of it because we were getting closer but I’m happy with that.”

Speak to those behind the scenes and they will explain injuries have been the most pertinent factor behind Tottenham’s predicament.

Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and Guglielmo Vicario among many others have spent extended spells on the sidelines this season – many of them with muscular issues.

James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Kulusevski were all unavailable in Bilbao. Son started on the bench because he was deemed unfit having only recently returned from injury.

Indeed, multiple sources have told BBC Sport that the club’s crippling injury record has been at the centre of some friction between members of the coaching team and medical and strength and conditioning staff over the course of the season.

“It’s been the blame game,” one well-placed source said.

According to sources, Richarlison’s injury-disrupted campaign has proved a bone of contention, particularly in the aftermath of the 4-0 Carabao Cup defeat by Liverpool in February when, having only recently returned from respective hamstring and groin injuries, the Brazil international suffered a subsequent calf injury.

There have been other examples this season where Postecoglou’s team and the medical and fitness department haven’t seen eye-to-eye.

Has Postecoglou pushed players too hard? Or are the strength and conditioning and medical departments at fault? The answers will vary depending on who you speak to.

Interestingly, it is understood there were similar strains during Postecoglou’s reign at Celtic, with medical staff and the manager not always aligned.

It’s pertinent to add that those tensions at Tottenham have eased in recent weeks as the club’s walking wounded returned to availability, while Postecoglou has sought to factor in more days off for his players in recent months – their elimination from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup allowing him extra leeway.

Nevertheless, the sheer number of muscular injuries the club have suffered this season indicates an issue that requires rectifying.

As is normal at the end of the season, Tottenham will review the campaign with a view to making departmental improvements ahead of the next.

With the incoming arrival of Vinai Venkatesham as new CEO, it’s probable that current chief football officer Scott Munn’s position will come under scrutiny at the end of the season.

Tottenham have also held talks with former managing director of football Fabio Paratici over a return to the club following his exit in 2023 after an appeal against a two-and-a-half-year Fifa ban for alleged financial irregularities while at Juventus was rejected by Italy’s highest sports court.

It is also fair to assume the club’s horrendous injury record will be part of the review process.

The upside of the club’s injury issues has been the development of 19-year-olds Bergvall and Archie Gray this season.

Both teenagers were expected to be eased into first-team duty this season – but the pair have made 88 appearances between them so far.

While there is acknowledgement that the experience will be invaluable to the development of both players, there is also an acceptance that the situation has been far from ideal for a club expected to be challenging for a top-five spot.

Last week, when Amorim said “we have to be brave”, he meant the whole club.

But what are the specifics?

Rasmus Hojlund has been described as “a Championship player” by someone who was part of the dressing room during Sir Alex Ferguson’s latter days. It is a brutal takedown. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it is wrong.

Mason Mount spoke eloquently in the build-up to the game but was anonymous in northern Spain. Amad Diallo threatened but his end product was lacking. There was a huge slice of fortune for Tottenham’s winner. But, once they had the lead, they never truly looked like losing it.

“I am always honest with you guys,” said Amorim. “Tonight, we need to deal with pain of losing this match.”

His first task is Sunday’s meeting with Champions League-chasing Aston Villa and then, after that, two matches in Asia – to generate around £10m in income – which United’s players couldn’t be looking forward to any less.

Leading fan groups threatened to protest around the Villa game well before this latest body blow to club morale.

Amorim must get his players to put on a united front, visually and emotionally.

It was noticeable that as Tottenham celebrated their victory, United’s players, almost to a man, were alone with their thoughts.

Andre Onana sat in his penalty area, Harry Maguire was further upfield, Alejandro Garnacho was inconsolable close to the halfway line.

Amorim was pacing up and down, as he does, looking at the ground.

From this disparate bunch, Amorim must somehow construct a team capable of doing justice to name of the storied club they represent.

Brennan Johnson scores the only goal as Tottenham beat Man Utd to lift the cup and qualify for the Champions League.

Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 to win the Europa League final, lifting its first European trophy in more than four decades to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

It is the first major title for Tottenham since it won the English League Cup in 2008, and its first European triumph since it won its second UEFA Cup — the equivalent of the Europa League now — in 1984.

Brennan Johnson squeezed in the winner at the end of the first half on Wednesday to help Spurs salvage a dismal season, in which it will finish near the bottom of the Premier League standings.

The title guarantees Spurs a spot in next season’s Champions League, and brings some much-needed relief for manager Ange Postecoglou after he struggled to keep his team on track all year.

The victory comes six years after Tottenham fell short against Liverpool in the Champions League final.

The defeat adds pressure on United coach Ruben Amorim, whose team sits in 16th place — just ahead of Tottenham — in the Premier League. The club will not play in any European competition next season.

United came close to equalising the match on Wednesday when a header by Rasmus Hojlund was cleared at the goal line by Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven in the 68th.

Deep into stoppage time, a header by Luke Shaw prompted a difficult save by Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

It had been an even match, with neither team creating many significant scoring opportunities, until Tottenham got on the board in the 42nd minute after a cross by Pape Sarr into the area.

The ball ricocheted off Shaw and fell in front of Johnson, who seemed to get just enough of it to poke it across the goal line.

United pressed forward after conceding, but was not able to get the equaliser in front of a split crowd of nearly 50,000 at Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium.

United had last won a trophy in the 2024 FA Cup, and its last European triumph was at the 2017 Europa League under manager Jose Mourinho.

The Red Devils lost all four matches against Tottenham this season and is winless against its rival in seven straight games, with the last six under Postecoglou.

United and Tottenham had met in just one previous final — the 2009 League Cup when Alex Ferguson’s United won 4-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

Tottenham striker Son Heung-min, who came off the bench in the 67th, finally ended his decade-long trophy drought with Spurs.

BRUNO FERNANDES has opened up on how he “convinced” he was destined to join Tottenham.

Spurs take on Fernandes‘ Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao this evening.

4

4

4

But in another reality, the 30-year-old could have been lining up for the north London club.

Six months before a January transfer window deal took Fernandes to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon for £47million, Spurs were deep in discussions to sign the midfielder.

There had been five meetings between the two parties with Fernandes’ camp left impressed by their structure and Sporting all set to accept the bid.

Of the talks, a source involved in the talks told the BBC: “They were absolutely next level when it comes to detail.

Even the rooms at the training ground – each one was decorated just like the players’ bedrooms at home, the ones they share with their partners.

“The bed was exactly the same. Even the flowers in the garden gave off a scent that’s meant to be beneficial – it was mind-blowing.”

However, the deal fell through when the Sporting board decided to hold out for an offer twice the size which ultimately never arrived, before selling Raphinha to Rennes instead.

Indeed, Fernandes had been so convinced he would be leaving that when club president Frederico Varandas tried to explain the situation he told him to go away.

Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus
in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford

In an interview in January 2020 before he joined Man Utd, Fernandes said: “It was the team that wanted me the most and was the only one I agreed to talk with, because there were other clubs that didn’t interest me or whose project was not up to my expectations.

“Tottenham fit into everything I wish I had at that moment. It is an appealing championship. Knowing that Tottenham would be willing to pay for me and make every possible effort to take me, leaves a player eager to take that step.”

But five years later, the “Portuguese magnifico” has become the heartbeat of the Red Devils.

In the last five years, no outfield player has made more appearances (288) or played more minutes (24,747) across Europe‘s top five leagues than Fernandes.

The all-action club captain has almost single-handedly kept the team afloat this season with 19 goals and 19 assists in all competitions.

MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest deals and rumours from Old Trafford

That includes 12 goal contributions in the Europa League, featuring a hat-trick in the last-16 against Real Sociedad, a penalty in the 5-4 win at Old Trafford over Lyon and a brace in Spain against Athletic Bilbao.

Earlier this month, he had said: “The manager and physio say that I need to relax and rest, but I say no. When I die, I will have a lot of time to lay down and rest.”

Fernandes is one of five players still at Man Utd who was in the matchday squad when the club fell to defeat on penalties against Villarreal in the final in 2021.

He, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof all started the game under then boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while Amad Diallo and Harry Maguire were unused subs with the latter missing the clash through injury.

Man Utd have lost to Spurs three times this season – twice in the Prem and once in the League Cup – but have the chance to salvage the club’s worst-ever Premier League finish with a European trophy and a spot in next season’s Champions League.

4

Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash

Want to follow along with the Europa League final but not sure who to support?

No problem! We’ve put together a quiz to determine whether you should be getting behind Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester United… and if you don’t like it, just sit back and enjoy the game.

Find your match below!

Who: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur
What: UEFA Europa League final 2025
Where: San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain
When: Wednesday at 9pm (19:00 GMT)

Follow Al Jazeera Sport‘s live text and photo commentary stream.

Manchester United clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday in an all-English Europa League final, which has major implications on and off the field.

The winner of this final not only – and unexpectedly, based on their horrendous bottom-five domestic form – take home a European crown, but also punch their golden ticket for entry into next season’s lucrative UEFA Champions League, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in extra revenue.

Al Jazeera Sport chronicles the key talking points ahead of a classic winner-takes-most showdown between two of England’s highest-profile clubs looking to reverse their regrettable seasons with an unexpected European triumph.

Are Man Utd, Spurs the lowest-ranked teams to play in the Europa League final?

There has never been any final, in any UEFA competition, where both clubs have been so low in their domestic league tables.

Both clubs head to Bilbao for the final, assailed by stinging criticism amid their worst seasons of the English Premier League era.

United sit 16th on the ladder, and Tottenham are one point worse off in 17th, with just one league game remaining.

Only the struggles of relegated trio Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton saved United and Tottenham from a highly embarrassing battle to avoid crashing into the second-tier championship.

Do the winners directly qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League?

UEFA allows the winners of their second-tier Europa League competition direct entry into the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, without the need for additional qualifying matches.

Additionally, they will earn the right to play against the winners of the 2024-25 Champions League in the UEFA Super Cup on August 13.

For the losers of the final in Bilbao, the hangover from this catastrophic domestic season threatens to be a long one, with the possibility of European football exile until at least the 2026-27 season.

How much is Champions League qualification worth?

The winners of the Europa League final could receive up to a 65-million-euro ($73m) boost.

This calculation is reached by combining the Europa League prize money and the TV and gate revenue derived from the winning team’s participation in the league phase of next season’s Champions League.

What happened the last time these teams played?

The teams last met at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on February 16, with James Maddison’s 13th-minute game-winner handing the home team a 1-0 victory against United.

Spurs have won all three of their meetings with United in all competitions this season, twice in the Premier League and once in the EFL Cup quarterfinals.

What is Manchester United’s form?

United’s last win in the Premier League was on March 16, a 3-0 victory at Leicester. Since then, Ruben Amorim’s side has registered six defeats and two draws in the domestic competition.

United’s only two victories in May came in the Europa League semifinals against Athletic Club.

What is Tottenham’s form?

Spurs have been equally dreadful in the final two months of the Premier League season, losing five and drawing once in their last six games.

Their last domestic league victory was a 3-1 home win against Southampton way back on April 6, leading to constant media speculation that manager Ange Postecoglou’s job is under threat for next season.

Where will the 2025 final be played?

San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain is the venue for the final.

With a seating capacity in excess of 50,000, the stadium is home to Athletic Club, who, by chance, are the team Manchester United defeated on May 8 in the Europa League semifinal to progress to the final.

UEFA has confirmed that the two teams will receive an allocation of 15,000 tickets each, with a further 11,000 tickets up for general sale and the remainder offered to hospitality and sponsors.

Team news: Manchester United

According to Manchester United’s official website, the Red Devils received a triple boost on the eve of the UEFA Europa League final with sidelined stars Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro, and Joshua Zirkzee spotted taking part in the team’s build-up training session on Tuesday.

Zirkzee had been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in April, but could be available for selection after missing United’s last eight games.

Another Dutchman, centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, is also questionable ahead of the match, but he was seen running through some training drills in an individual workout on Tuesday.

Striker Rasmus Hojlund, who has struggled up front for large parts of the season, is tipped to lead the line for Amorim’s side.

Team News: Tottenham

Spurs will line up without key midfield players Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, as well as promising youngster Lucas Bergvall, who are all ruled out with injury.

Maddison, who was set to miss the rest of the season with a knee issue, did board the team bus for Bilbao, leading to rampant media speculation he might play in the final, despite being ruled out by Postecoglou.

Tottenham captain Son Heung-Min, who sustained a foot injury in April and missed seven consecutive matches, is on course to be fit for the final after making his first start against Aston Villa last Friday, according to the team.

Better news in the backline for Tottenham, with previously injured defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven both available for selection.

Possible lineups

United possible starting XI: Onana (GK); Yoro, Maguire, Lindelof; Mazraoui, Casemiro, Ugarte, Dorgu; Fernandes, Amad; Hojlund

Tottenham possible starting XI: Vicario (GK); Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Bentancur; Johnson, Solanke, Son

What’s the prize money for the Europa League winners?

The winners of the 2025 Europa League final will receive a prize money of 13 million euros ($14.6m). The runners-up are allocated 7 million euros ($7.87m).

Both clubs could use the money to pay down their debt: Spurs recorded an annual operating loss of 26 million pounds ($34.7m) last year, while United’s deficit was 113 million pounds ($151m) over the same period.

What the managers and players had to say

Ruben Amorim, Manchester United manager: “I feel it’s a mixed feeling. I’m really excited, but at the same time, I know my responsibility as Manchester United coach. I have always [had] that feeling of frustration for the season, so I want really badly to help the team win this final. We’ve got to give something to the club, to the fans, to the staff, to everybody.”

Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur manager: “I mean, who cares if we’re struggling in the league? Why is that important? If it’s so easy to get to a final, then why doesn’t everyone who finishes in the top three do it?

“We understand our league form hasn’t been great. We understand the struggles we’ve had. A lot of them are because of the situation we’ve been in. But how does that diminish the achievement of getting to a final?

“I couldn’t care less who’s struggling and who’s not. I think both us and United have earned the right to be there.”

Son Heung-Min, Tottenham captain: “We always respect our opponents, but I think it’s important to do what we need to do. I think the Manchester United players would think the same. It’s definitely going to be a great game, but it will be a difficult one. But I think we want to win it even more.

“I have accomplished everything in the 10 years I’ve been at Tottenham, except for one thing [winning a European title]. I’ve worked hard to make up for that and have always dreamed of winning a trophy in a Tottenham shirt. So, I hope we can make that dream a reality.”

TOTTENHAM and Manchester United will meet in Bilbao on Wednesday for a Europa League date with destiny.

The Premier League strugglers both hold a golden opportunity to salvage their season by seizing glory in Spain.

13

13

Languishing 17th and 16th in the Prem respectively, Spurs and United have endured woeful league campaigns.

But several omens suggest that it could be a glorious end to a difficult season for either side.

TOTTENHAM

It’s been well documented that Spurs have not won a trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008.

Ange Postecoglou has come under fire for his side’s awful league campaign.

But Juande Ramos and George Graham being Tottenham’s most recent trophy-winning managers suggests that it’s not necessarily their best or most popular bosses that can get them over the line.

Spurs can also take heart from seeing teams on far longer trophy droughts than them breaking their ducks.

In March, Newcastle upset the odds to beat Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final – earning their first silverware since lifting the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969.

And just last week, Italian side Bologna won the Coppa Italia – beating AC Milan 1-0 in Rome to end a 51-year wait for a trophy.

Former Tottenham hero Harry Kane recently won the Bundesliga at the second time of asking, scoring 26 goals along the way to earning the first trophy of his career.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

13

13

13

13

13

13

Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash

Most recently, Crystal Palace upset Manchester City in the FA Cup final to lift the first major silverware in their entire history.

It’s been the season of fresh trophy winners – and Spurs will be hoping to join the party by earning their third Europa League triumph, having won its former iteration, the Uefa Cup, in 1971 and 1984.

MAN UTD

The Red Devils’ mid-season managerial change is yet to bear fruit.

Erik ten Hag oversaw a dismal start to the campaign and was sacked following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham in October.

In came Ruben Amorim, but the 40-year-old has managed to mastermind just six victories in 26 Premier League matches at the helm.

Ahead of Wednesday night, however, United fans can cling to what happened the last time that they won the Europa League.

The Red Devils beat Ajax 2-0 in Stockholm eight years ago, courtesy of goals by Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

On that occasion they were managed by a Portuguese in Jose Mourinho, who had replaced a sacked FA Cup-winning Dutchman in Louis van Gaal.

Amorim is a Portuguese boss and replaced sacked Dutchman Ten Hag, who lifted the FA Cup last season…

In addition to this, United’s rivals Manchester City last went trophyless in 2017.

By losing to Palace on Saturday, Pep Guardiola‘s side were condemned to their first season without silverware since the 2016-17 campaign.

United fans will be hoping that these omens can work in their favour come Wednesday night.

13

Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash

13

13

13

13

Final Score presenter Jason Mohammad and pundits Chris Sutton, Stephen Warnock and Anita Asante discuss whether – win or lose in the Europa League final on Wednesday – Ange Postecoglou will be at Tottenham next season.

READ MORE: How Spence went from serial outcast to unlikely Spurs stalwart

FABIO PARATICI’S return to Tottenham is set to be confirmed as the Italian looks to line up Ange Postecoglou’s successor.

Spurs boss Postecoglou is expected to leave the club this summer regardless of whether he wins Wednesday’s Europa League final against Manchester United or not.

3

3

3

Italian Paratici, 52, was Spurs’ managing director of football between 2021-23.

But he was forced to resign in April 2023 after being hit with a two-and-a-half-year worldwide ban by Fifa due to financial malpractice at previous club Juventus.

That suspension ends at the end of next month, freeing him up to come back to his role at Spurs.

Paratici will have an influence on who Tottenham go for next in the dugout provided there is no emotional U-turn on Postecoglou if he is triumphant in Europe.

That is not expected to happen given the team’s disastrous league campaign.

Spurs have racked up a record 21 defeats and are languishing in 17th place.

Paratici is understood to have close ties to Simone Inzaghi.

But the Inter Milan chief is set to stick with the Champions League finalists next season.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

Paratici is also tight with Massimiliano Allegri, but the former Juve boss does not speak English and is believed NOT to favour a move abroad.

One Italian who is in the frame is Francesco Farioli.

Last weekend Farioli saw his Ajax side miss out on the Eredivisie title on the final day despite beating FC Twente 2-0.

The 36-year-old is a former disciple of ex-Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

He is highly-regarded for his work on a shoestring budget at Nice and returning Ajax to the Champions League.

Fulham gaffer Marco Silva, Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth and Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner remain on Spurs’ list of candidates.

Ange Postecoglou has signalled he will rest key players when Tottenham play Aston Villa on Friday as he “can’t afford to lose another” to injury with the Europa League final less than a week away.

Midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has become the latest first-team regular to suffer an injury that will rule him out of Wednesday’s final in Bilbao against Manchester United.

Fellow midfielders Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison are both also set to miss the final, while defender Radu Dragusin is a long-term injury absentee after suffering a serious knee injury in February.

Head coach Postecoglou rested several players against Crystal Palace last weekend.

Plans to field his strongest side against Villa to “sharpen up” for the Bilbao trip may now have to be scrapped.

“The reality of our existence at the moment is we can’t lose another player to an injury,” Postecoglou said. “It’s just too finely balanced for us considering what’s at stake.

“Look, in a normal world you use this to be sharpening up, but we’re not living in a normal world.

“Even with the best planning we’re still getting hit with these setbacks. From my perspective I’ve got to take that into account when considering the [Aston Villa] game.”

He may take the opportunity to try new combinations in midfield.

“We’ve always had to try to find creative ways to cover the absences we’ve had and we’ll find a way to do that again,” Postecoglou said.

“There’s obviously a few players who will play [on Friday] who haven’t played regularly or a lot lately who will get an opportunity.”

Spurs are 17th in the Premier League table – one place above the relegation zone but out of danger, and one behind United in 16th.

Both Europa League final sides have endured dismal domestic league campaigns but the winner next Wednesday will qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Tottenham have not won a trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008.