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Man Utd are aiming to win the Europa League for just the second time in their history
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Underperforming Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will collide in the first all-English Europa League final in six years.
The Red Devils are aiming to win the competition for the second time in their history, with their last triumph in the competition coming under Jose Mourinho in 2017. United last reached the final in 2021 but were beaten by Villarreal on penalties.
Meanwhile, Spurs are aiming to secure their third Europa League trophy. The Lillywhites won the competition when it was formerly known as the UEFA Cup back in 1984 by triumphing on penalties against Belgian side Anderlecht after two legs. The capital side also won the inaugural edition of the competition by beating Wolves in 1972.
United are looking to win silverware for the third consecutive season and have hopes of edging closer to Liverpool in the all-time list of trophies won by English football clubs. Meanwhile Spurs are chasing their first honour since winning the League Cup in 2008.
The highly-anticipated match acts as a straight shoot-out for Champions League qualification with the winner earning the final seat at Europe’s elite table next season. It also acts as a big boost in terms of financial fair play and attracting the very best players to sign in the summer.
But what is the monetary value of winning the Europa League and just how significant is this contest for both clubs?
How much do teams earn by playing in the Europa League?
Every team that made the League Phase of the Europa League automatically received £3.6million each for simply qualifying for that stage of UEFA's secondary competition.
United finished eighth last season and were forced to wait until after the season ended to secure their place. They did so by beating local rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
Spurs secured qualification by finishing fifth in the league and ultimately finished just two points behind Aston Villa in the Champions League race.
Each win in the league phase handed a club a £379,201 boost, and each draw would see a reward of £126,400 be given out. Those that automatically qualified for the knockout rounds received £505,000 on top of those earnings. United finished third with five wins and three draws while Spurs were closely behind them in fourth with five wins, two draws and one defeat.
Progression in each knockout round increased gradually with United and Spurs both receiving a total of £7.12m for reaching the semi-final. Adding the prize money so far from wins and progressing, United’s prize money so far stands at around £9.3m.
How much will Man Utd earn if they win the Europa League?
The Red Devils and Tottenham are battling to win the maximum reward of £10.95m for winning the Europa League. The losing finalist will also be entitled to £5.9m for their efforts. It means United’s prize money could surpass £20m if they are victorious in Bilbao.
The winner of the Europa League earns approximately half the amount of teams that go all the way in the Champions League.
Champions League winners claim £21.1m for victory in the final while even runners-up receive £15m which is significantly higher than what comes for winning the Europa League final. Therefore the incentive is not just the prize money but the prestige of qualifying for the Champions League which comes the following season.
With clubs performing so poorly in the league and being out of contention to play in any form of Europe, it’s pivotal for both to come out on top in this year’s final in Basque, not just from a trophy perspective but also in terms of revenue and financial fair play.