Tottenham Hotspur are Europa League winners after beating Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao last week.
Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League, but they’ve still managed to qualify for the Champions League next season owing to their victory last week.
Tottenham broke Inter Milan’s record as the lowest-placed side to ever win a European trophy, and speaking on the Kelly and Wrighty Show, Michael Owen has shared his theory on why Spurs have been able to win the Europa League this year despite being so poor.
Owen believes that one rule change implemented by UEFA this season was the reason Spurs won the Europa League.
Michael Owen shares Tottenham Europa League theory
Owen spoke about Tottenham’s Europa League win.
The pundit says that the Europa League final is the worst game of football he’s ever watched, theorising that Spurs never would’ve won the Europa League if Champions League sides still dropped down into this competition.
‘As a total neutral I’m doom and gloom for Tottenham. The only reason they won that competition is because no Champions League sides now drop into the Europa League. Did they play anybody any good?” Owen asked.
“Even the final, it was probably the worst game of football I’ve ever watched, it was so bad. I rarely ever want to switch over the game, but that final, I mean…”
Which teams would’ve dropped into the Europa League?
Tottenham won the Europa League the first year after this rule change, and that may not be a coincidence.
Indeed, Spurs were terrible domestically, but they were able to triumph in Europe, partly down to the lack of quality competition.
In previous years, eight Champions League teams would’ve dropped down to the Europa League after the group stage, and, based on the Champions League table this year, some quality sides would’ve joined the competition.
Of course, it’s all hypothetical and impossible to predict, but would Tottenham have won the Europa League if the likes of Juventus, Man City, Sporting and Monaco dropped into the competition? Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter.