Manchester United will face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on May 21, but there have been concerns over whether the San Mames Stadium is big enough to host the final
Despite concerns over the size of the San Mames stadium, UEFA maintain that the Europa League final will not be moved from Bilbao.
The Basque city secured the rights to host this year's event back in 2021. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle it out for the Europa League in less than a fortnight.
United's last triumph in this competition was back in 2017, while Tottenham's most recent European victory was in 1984. United dashed Athletic Bilbao's hopes of playing a final in their own stadium at the semi-final stage.
Ruben Amorim's team won 3-0 in the first leg in the Basque Country, followed by a 4-1 victory in the second leg at Old Trafford on Thursday. Spurs, on the other hand, managed to avoid a loss to Norwegian underdogs Bodo/Glimt, following up a 3-1 win in the first leg with a 2-0 victory in the return fixture on Thursday night.
This sets the scene for an all-Premier League final, scheduled for May 21. However, given the large fan bases of both clubs, questions have been raised about whether Bilbao can accommodate the final.
The Independent reports that UEFA has dismissed these concerns, stating there is 'no chance' of the final being relocated to an English venue. The San Mames boasts an official capacity of 53,289.
The demand for tickets from supporters of the two finalist teams will far exceed the allocation. Both United and Spurs will receive approximately 15,000 tickets each, with an additional 11,000 available for general sale and the rest reserved for hospitality and sponsors.
Previous all-English European finals have been played at their intended venues, such as Chelsea's Champions League victory over Manchester City in 2021 in Porto, Liverpool's triumph against Spurs in 2019 in Madrid, and the Blues' Europa League win against Arsenal in the same year in Baku. Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is looking forward to facing United, stating: "It's going to upset a lot of people isn't it.
"The debate's now raging. The latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win, they're just going to take a team photo because we're not worthy."
He went on to add: "I mean, who cares if we're struggling in the league? If it's so easy to get to a final, then why doesn't everyone who finishes in the top three do it?
"It's a separate thing. It's got nothing to do with league form.
"I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there."
His opposite number Amorim, meanwhile, mentioned the stakes are high for the final."I'm stressed already because of the final, because if you don't win it, in the end, it's nothing," he explained to reporters.
"So, we are happy to be there. Let's see."
"I think it's going to be a really good game," he added. "A little bit emotional because both teams are struggling a lot in the Premier League and want to win something.
"Two teams who play in the same league and know each other. It means a lot, not just to us but also for Tottenham.
"It means a lot, not just for me but also for Ange [Postecoglou], after this season. It's a massive game and I know it's going to be tough for the people in Bilbao because they wanted to play in the final at home."