The Guardian

For the first time in nearly two decades, a trophy arrived in north London without any red ribbons attached. The streets were a sea of white as thousands of fans descended on the Tottenham Hotspur stadium to celebrate the team’s Europa League triumph.

It was a blissful atmosphere as supporters gathered to toast an end to the club’s 17-year wait for silverware, each one uttering the same seven-letter word: “Finally.”

Frank Hunter had been to Bilbao, not bothering to book a hotel and instead making use of the Basque city’s park benches for sleep as he and his friends endured what he called “the most excruciating experience” of his life. But he said it was all worth it.

“Words can’t describe what it means to see all the boys all together, celebrating – it’s the best day,” said Frank. “To have days like this with your family is unreal. Here’s to many more.”

Robbie Fowler, 68, lives just round the corner from the stadium and was in attendance at the age of 15 when Spurs lifted their first Europa League – then UEFA – cup in 1972. He said moments like these “are up there with the best of them”.

“This saves our season – it’s that simple,” said Fowler. “Everything else – the league, the cups – it doesn’t matter. This is all that matters, times like this. Better than anything.”

Matthew Mitton was in attendance with his father and his son, Carter. He said he felt lucky to be able to share the moment with his young boy, the same way his father did with him during the team’s 1991 FA Cup triumph over Nottingham Forest.

“This tops it. I was able to do that with my dad, and I can’t believe I can be with him on days like this again, and with my boy as well. Days like this, they don’t come around often enough.”

Luke and Jessica attended the parade together, with Luke being a Spurs fan his entire life and Jessica becoming one seven years ago when the couple first started seeing each other.

“It’s been emotional,” she laughed. “Not much joy.”

“It’s funny,” Luke added. “We live just down the road and Jess said she didn’t know if we’d ever see a trophy parade here, and I was starting to think she might be right. I honestly feel as if I’ve waited my whole life for this. I can’t believe it.”

While many in attendance shared Luke’s sentiment, for others the wait hadn’t been that long. Elijah Brown is just seven months old and has seen nearly the same amount of trophies as his father, Jaz, who is worried his son may become too used to success.

“He doesn’t know the struggle,” said Jaz. “I had to wait 17 years and he’s waited seven months. I’m worried it will go to his head.”

Jaz said that Elijah, who he brought to the parade along with Rosie, his partner and Elijah’s mother, and a cohort of friends, is a good-luck charm. He said all the signs since the boy’s birth have pointed towards him watching Spurs win a trophy.

“When he was born, I knew this kid was something lucky. We bought him his first kit and it only properly came of size today. Every time I put him in that kit we win another game. Honestly, it’s destiny. He’s the future Tottenham captain. Some day I’ll be here watching him lift the Prem [Premier League trophy].”

Open-top buses are a favourite of visitors to London, including many of the half million Australians who travel there each year. Ange Postecoglou became the latest to hop aboard as part of a parade celebrating Tottenham’s Europa League triumph.

There is no Buckingham Palace, no Tower of London, no Piccadilly Circus on Friday’s route – or Saturday morning for those watching from Australia. Rather, this was an unusual journey around not central but north London. On an ordinary day, Tottenham and Edmonton are areas deemed too common for most to be worth seeing. But this promised a rare spectacle, a sight to behold, in an area starved of football success.

Others have already been celebrating. This week marks the high point in Australian football success. There have been bigger trophies won by players, the occasional fleeting World Cup run by the Socceroos or Matildas. But an Australian manager winning a major European competition is rarer than a trophy in Tottenham.

Even with this season’s league form, Postecoglou’s Spurs tenure can now be considered a success, and another compelling job in Europe should be his. The manager has delivered the club one of its most famous days. And he has done it despite injuries, despite only limited support from the club’s higher-ups. Despite an at times poisonous environment of criticism and ridicule.

Just to make it to the Premier League, Postecoglou has done things no Australian has done before. Yet that scarcity has not necessarily elicited endearment in England. Even before Spurs’ form went south, Postecoglou’s demeanour and confidence grated with many.

“Australianness” alone has not been Postecoglou’s problem. In the capital of the British empire, subjects from Australia have long been welcomed. Across pop music, soap operas, cricket and even rugby, those of the antipodes are admired and often openly loved. The negligible differences between the two Anglosphere cultures are normally made up for by their similarities.

But when an English institution is challenged by an Australian, those differences can emerge as great cracks in the Commonwealth. Into the country’s most cherished pursuit of football, the assault of Ange has been a lot to take in.

Postecoglou estimated this week he has done more than a hundred press conferences this season. He agrees he has made mistakes, and admits he has been overexposed. That peculiarity of an Australian accent at football’s highest level, having skipped the queue of an English football apprenticeship, has been too much for some to bear.

The xenophobia nudging him towards the door has, of course, not been the decisive factor in his predicted departure at the end of the season. The 21 league defeats count for far more. He could still continue in the role, having secured a berth in the Champions League next season and declaring he wants to continue building the team.

Spurs’ league form is an ugly blemish, no question. Like Toadfish in the 1990s, hard to look at but impossible to ignore. But Postecoglou’s chutzpah in declaring he always wins a trophy in his second season, and then actually pulling it off, has somehow made up for it.

Few will remember Spurs falling 2-0 away to Brentford in February. Or losing to Fulham by the same score in March. But none can quickly shake the image of Sergio Reguilon and James Maddison holding a banner in Bilbao with the Australian in 8-bit thug life sunglasses above his now infamous quote: “I ALWAYS win things in my second year.”

For Australian football followers, a defeat for Postecoglou’s side against Manchester United was almost too painful to imagine. In that universe, his meek failure at one of the best-resourced clubs in world football would likely have precluded an Australian from a similar opportunity for a long time to come. Australians might still be welcomed in the game’s proletariat of players, were they up to it. But in the culture-setting class of men’s football management, that would have been it. After Ange, no more mates.

The Europa League trophy wedges open this door, the draught’s oxygen keeping the fire burning among Australia’s ambitious globetrotting coaches such as Kevin Muscat, Patrick Kisnorbo and Mile Jedinak – the latter one of Postecoglou’s assistants at Spurs. And it lights one under the next generation, seeing that maybe this pathway has been paved.

Of the many pro-Postecoglou pieces of social media content that exploded this week was after the final of the 2015 Asian Cup, won by the Socceroos over the South Korea side of a young Son Heung-min. After the whistle, the camera tracked the Australia coach offering his condolences to the Koreans, including a poignant moment with a teary Son a decade before the pair would share their greatest success.

Son’s career as a Tottenham legend is well entrenched, while Postecoglou’s record in Australia, Japan and Scotland remains heavily scrutinised. But this exchange has resurfaced as a fresh plot point, a director’s cut for one of Spurs’ great glories, and a reminder the world of football is vast and rich.

But in Tottenham’s heartland, the celebration for Spurs fans was an occasion far bigger than Big Ange. The sight of an open-topped bus ended decades of pain. And amid it all was Postecoglou, a tourist no more.

Cristian Romero, Tottenham

Cristian Romero’s time at Tottenham seemed to be drawing to a close. The Argentinian criticised the club earlier this season, blaming the board for a lack of progress. “Manchester City competes every year,” he said. “You see how Liverpool strengthens its squad. Chelsea strengthens their squad, doesn’t do well, strengthens again, and now they’re seeing results. Those are the things to imitate. You have to realise that something is going wrong. The last few years, it’s always the same – first the players, then coaching staff changes, and it’s always the same people responsible.” Real Madrid were previously linked with a move for the World Cup winner, but Atlético Madrid now seem more likely to sign the centre-back – if he is not enticed by the prospect of playing Champions League football for Tottenham.

Son Heung-min, Tottenham

Son Heung-Min was always going to leave Tottenham as a legend, even more so now that he has lifted the club’s first trophy since 2008. Spurs extended his contract in January, tying him to the club until the summer of 2026, but that may have been to protect his value. Son has been linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia and, after a difficult season in which he has only scored seven goals in 30 league games and was not picked to start the Europa League final, the club may want to get their highest earner off the books. Supporters would be sad to see the captain go, but this summer feels like the right time for both parties to part ways. There won’t be a better way to bow out.

Emiliano Martínez, Aston Villa

Aston Villa may be forced to sell more players this summer to comply with profitability and sustainability rules. One of those reportedly set to go is Emiliano Martínez, who could be replaced by the Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García. The World Cup winner was visibly upset during the players’ lap of honour after their final home game of the season on Friday night. The 32-year-old soaked up the atmosphere after the 2-0 win against Tottenham, prompting more rumours that a switch to Barcelona, Atlético Madrid or Saudi Arabia may be on the cards.

Darwin Núñez, Liverpool

Liverpool’s fringe players were given their chance to impress after the club wrapped up the title with a few games to spare. Few of them have covered themselves in glory. Darwin Núñez is expected to depart in the summer, having struggled to convince Arne Slot he can lead the line. Núñez did contribute to Liverpool’s success this season, coming off the bench to score two injury-time goals in a win at Brentford in January, but Slot will want an upgrade on a striker who has more yellow cards (eight) than goals (five) in the league this season.

Andrew Robertson, Liverpool

Liverpool’s pursuit of full-backs has kicked up a notch since they clinched the title. They are close to signing Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for €35m and are pushing forward with a move for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, which may mean that Andrew Robertson is deemed surplus to requirements. Liverpool won the league convincingly, and have the second best defensive record behind Arsenal, but the 31-year-old has not been as effective as in previous campaigns. It may be the right time for a refresh.

Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne’s 10-year stay at Manchester City ends this summer. The Belgian said goodbye at the Etihad earlier this week and will leave the club with 16 winners’ medals. Even at 33 years of age, he will have no shortage of suitors. He may want to stay in the Premier League and prove that City were wrong to let him go, but a switch to MLS has been rumoured, as has a move to Serie A, with Napoli a possible destination.

Ederson, Manchester City

Ederson may follow De Bruyne out the door at the Etihad, with Manchester City linked with Porto’s penalty-saving machine Diogo Costa. Ederson’s distribution and impressive work with his feet have made him ideal for Pep Guardiola’s style, but his shotstopping capabilities have let the team down. The 31-year-old could be on his way to the Saudi Pro League this summer.

Christopher Nkunku, Chelsea

Christopher Nkunku moved to Chelsea in 2023 with high expectations. However the Frenchman has started just 11 Premier League games in two years, with injuries and a lack of form holding him back forward. Reports in January suggested that Chelsea were prepared to swap Nkunku for Mathys Tel prior to the latter’s switch to Tottenham. A return to Germany, where the 27-year-old shone for RB Leipzig, is not out of the question, with the versatile forward’s time at Stamford Bridge likely drawing to a close.

Mohammed Kudus, West Ham

West Ham pulled off quite the coup when they signed Mohammed Kudus from Ajax in 2023. He hasn’t been the most prolific forward – the Ghana international has scored just 12 league goals for the club – but he still has a legion of admirers. Kudus does his best work when given the chance to run at opponents; only Jérémy Doku (107) has completed more dribbles than the 24-year-old (91) in the league this season. If he goes, a move to Saudi Arabia may suit Kudos and West Ham.

Alejandro Garnacho, Manchester United

“Until we reached the final, I played every round. And I played 20 minutes today. I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next,” said Alejandro Garnacho after Manchester United’s defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final. The Argentinian was dropped in favour of Mason Mount, a decision that hasn’t gone down well with the young forward. A summer departure looks increasingly likely after his thinly veiled dig at manager Ruben Amorim. While a move to Chelsea has been reported, he could go abroad, with Napoli previously linked with the 20-year-old.

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Time to wrap this blog up. I’ll end with this: a lovely sketch sent in by Keith Williams.

“Since I haven’t been at a trophy parade since 1991 I took meself down the Tottenham high road with my sketchbook and managed to get these done while being jostled about.” Enjoy the night, Spurs fans.

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I’ve tuned back in to the Tottenham parade, where Son Heung-min, shades on, takes it all in:

“The last two days gone so fast. I just felt like I sleep five hours. With a lot of joy, a lot of happiness, and it was incredible. I dreamed this moment and it finally happened. I’m so glad I did it here, I did it with a Spurs shirt. I’m so proud of this group.”

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Your weekend, planned to perfection:

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John Brewin’s Football Daily tees up the big one at Wembley: Saturday’s playoff final between Sunderland and Sheffield United. It’s just hit me that Sunderland have spent eight years away from the Premier League, their relegation responsible for the greatest football docu-series ever.

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The Tottenham players have hopped on to the open-top bus. The club are actually live-streaming the whole thing; if you’re not planning to hit the streets yourself, here you go:

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Updated at 18.09 CEST

“Scotland’s national sport has a serious behavioural issue, one which threatened to spiral long ago as authorities turned blind eyes. Adding alcohol to the mix would be absurd.”

Ewan Murray dissects the crowd disorder in Scottish football:

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ICYMI: here’s the full story on the latest England squad. Ivan Toney is back in the mix.

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Updated at 18.21 CEST

Jamie Jackson

It emerged today that Manchester United, who had previously informed most of the 150-200 potential people Sir Jim Ratcliffe will make redundant in his latest round that they are at risk, have now done the same regarding a small number of those in football-facing positions, as this was deferred until the end of the season. More horrible tidings that will affect families and friends.

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Spurs and Harry Kane have broken their trophy droughts this season. It feels strange that it wasn’t together.

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Jack Snape provides a view from Australia of Ange Postecoglou’s success.

For Australian football followers, a defeat for Postecoglou’s side against Manchester United was almost too painful to imagine. In that universe, his meek failure at one of the best-resourced clubs in world football would likely have precluded an Australian from a similar opportunity for a long time to come. Australians might still be welcomed in the game’s proletariat of players, were they up to it. But in the culture-setting class of men’s football management, that would have been it. After Ange, no more mates.

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Kieran McKenna has been pretty transparent on Liam Delap: Ipswich have given him permission to speak to other clubs.

“Of course there is a lot of interest – and rightly so. I think part of his week has been having some of those conversations,” McKenna was quoted saying by PA Media.

“It looks more likely than not that he will move on this summer and he has interest from pretty much every club in the league, and I don’t think there are many clubs in the world who wouldn’t want to have him.

“If he stays with us, we will be delighted, and if he moves on this summer, it will be a positive sign for the club to have developed and sold a player at that sort of level and hopefully it will be a good move for him as well.”

The former Manchester City striker has been linked with their cross-town rivals, Newcastle and Chelsea.

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Even with that tussle for Champions League football, it’s not going to be a classic final day in the Premier League, the champions and relegated sides sorted an age ago. Ed Aarons went through the best final-day finishes last year: the obvious one is Agüerooooooo, but 2022 was remarkable, too.

Not mentioned is 2005’s Survival Sunday, when no side had been relegated before the final day. West Brom began it at the bottom of the table … before victory over Portsmouth prompted jubilation at the Hawthorns.

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More from Guardiola here on Champions League qualification, Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri:

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Craig Gordon, 42 years young, is still ticking along. Scotland’s oldest men’s international has signed a one-year contract extension at Hearts, his boyhood club – he made his first-team debut for them all the way back in 2002.

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Pep Guardiola has spoken about Phil Foden and his desire to look after the attacking midfielder. Foden, not named in the latest England squad, has admitted to having a “frustrating” season hampered by an ankle problem.

“We want to help him, that is the most important thing,” said the Manchester City manager. “He needs rest and it’s going to happen now, after Sunday. Step by step he is going to come back, is what we want. I just want to, want to help him. I don’t care about his performance on the pitch. I want him to feel good and after the rest will come in an easy way.”

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The pics are rolling in of fans gathering for Tottenham’s trophy parade, and they’re partying like it’s 1984 (not a dystopian reference). If you’re there, drop us a line.

The parade kicks off at 5.30pm BST from Edmonton Green says the Spurs website, though there’ll be “a DJ, live music and Legend Q&As from 3pm”.

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Updated at 15.55 CEST

Former Manchester United defender sentenced after car crash

Here’s a story from PA Media on Brandon Williams, released by Manchester United last year.

The former Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams has received a suspended jail sentence for dangerous driving after he reached almost 100mph seconds before his vehicle collided with another car.

Williams, 24, was spotted driving at high speeds and in an erratic manner in an Audi A3 on the A34 near Handforth, Cheshire, on 20 August 2023.

His vehicle collided with a Ford Fiesta before crashing into the central reservation. Williams was on loan at Ipswich at the time of incident.

Last June, Manchester United announced he would leave the club at the end of his contract. In March, Williams pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and having no insurance.

On Friday, at Chester Crown Court, he was sentenced to a 14-month jail term, suspended for two years.

Recorder Eric Lamb also banned him from driving for three years and ordered he must undertake 180 hours of unpaid work as part of a community order.

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Updated at 15.33 CEST

Nuno Espírito Santo has been linked with a move to manage Roma, something he was asked about in his press conference. He replies: “Do you really think I’m going to waste time on that? So much things to think, so much things to get ready. My main focus is in preparing the team, trying to get the best solutions and details for the players, nothing else. Nothing else.”

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Wharton named in England Under-21s training squad

Adam Wharton, Tino Livramento and Liam Delap are included in the England Under-21s squad named for a “preparation camp” before this summer’s Euros.

Goalkeepers: James Beadle, Owen Goodman, Teddy Sharman-Lowe, Tommy Simkin

Defenders: Dennis Cirkin, Charlie Cresswell, Ronnie Edwards, CJ Egan-Riley, Tino Livramento, Teden Mengi, Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Jarell Quansah

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Jobe Bellingham, Archie Gray, Hayden Hackney, Jack Hinshelwood, Tyler Morton, Alex Scott, Adam Wharton

Forwards: Liam Delap, Harvey Elliott, Tom Fellows, Omari Hutchinson, Sam Iling-Junior, Ethan Nwaneri, Jonathan Rowe, Dane Scarlett, Jay Stansfield

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Updated at 17.53 CEST

Paul MacInnes

The government is to amend a key part of the Football Governance Bill to allow the regulator to impose a financial settlement on the Premier League and EFL.

A failure to strike a new deal on financial redistribution, whereby the Premier League shares some of its broadcast revenue with clubs lower down the football pyramid, has been one of the driving forces behind the creation of an independent regulator for the game.

As part of the regulator’s proposed powers, the bill would provide for a ‘backstop’ mechanism whereby either party could ask the regulator to intervene should they be unable to strike a deal between themselves. Under the original legislation, however, any settlement would have to be proposed by the Premier League or EFL first, before the regulator could enforce it.

Under new amendments published today, however, the regulator is to be given the ability to select a third plan of its own making. This would come into effect should the proposals from competition organisers not meet the regulator’s objectives of protecting ‘the financial soundness of clubs’ and ‘the financial resilience of English football’.

The updated process is seen by the government as moving away from a ‘winner takes all’ model to a negotiated solution, albeit one which will be driven by deadlines set by the regulator. The Football Governance Bill is in the process of completing its process through parliament, and has reached the final ‘committee’ stage in the house of commons.

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David Moyes has some injury updates, too: Jarrad Branthwaite is out for four to five weeks with a hamstring problem and Seamus Coleman will miss the last game of the season because of a thigh strain.

On the confirmed departure of Abdoulaye Doucouré, he said: “I think he’s been a great servant for the club who’s done a great job over many years. We made him an offer and he’s got a better one to go elsewhere. We have to live with that. We’re quite comfortable with that. We wanted him to stay but obviously he’s chosen to take a better offer.

“We’ll miss him but I’ve got no hard feelings from his decision.”

There’ll be more news on players soon to be out of contract such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin next week, Moyes adds.

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Updated at 17.53 CEST

Afternoon, all. Vítor Pereira says Jørgen Strand Larsen is a doubt for Wolves’ clash with Brentford. He’s asked if he knows of any players who will say farewell to the club on Sunday (a roundabout way of asking about Matheus Cunha’s future):

“To be honest, I don’t know the players that will leave. I’m waiting to understand. I don’t know, I really don’t know.”

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And that’s my brief stint done. I’ll now hand you over to Taha Hashim for the rest of the afternoon. Thanks.

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Talking of big-name players making an exit, Will Trent Alexander-Arnold play in Liverpool’s final home game against Crystal Palace? Arne Slot was asked the question and rather hid his answer away.

“I haven’t decided on that one yet. But I think this should be a day that everybody is going to enjoy. It’s been 35 years, everybody is waiting for this moment and I think we’ve set the example against Tottenham. I don’t think I’ve ever been part of seeing celebration done in a nicer way than that day.

“And one of the two things that made me emotional was how we arrived at the stadium when the fans were singing for us. And the second one is that I’ve met in the last few weeks multiple people telling me, ‘I’m going to Anfield now for all my life but I’ve never felt a day what was more special than that one, Tottenham at home.’

“So, I am hoping that we can add a moment like this to it. And I think everybody that’s in the stadium deserves to be there – the fans, the staff, but also the players and one of my players is Trent, so he definitely deserves to be there as well because he’s been part of an incredible, successful season and incredible, successful years at this club. I can only hope that we do it one more time over what we did against Tottenham and I have a lot of trust in our fans to do the same again.”

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How many of these household names will be heading to pastures new? Ben McAleer of WhoScored takes a look at some likely departures.

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Krishnamoorthy v gets in touch and delivers this pithy Manchester United take. United host Aston Villa while Spurs are at home to Brighton.

“If I were Amorim, I would instruct my team to lose the last match (and pray Spurs do not lose theirs). That way Man U will finish 17th. Any finish next season will be as good or better if Man U are not relegated. The corporate world calls this ‘strategic thinking’.”

To be honest, I think United are perfectly capable of losing it without any instruction.

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Updated at 14.10 CEST

What next for Gary Lineker, with his BBC departure imminent? Lineker, by the way, was runner-up in the 1986 Ballon d’Or. I honestly think you’d have 100 guesses or more and still not get who won that year!

A lunchtime read here from Media editor Michael Savage.

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot was asked earlier if Mo Salah has a great chance of wining the Ballon d’Or. The Egyptian has 28 goals and 18 assists this season, both chart toppers in the Premier League.

Slot: “He’s had very, very, very good seasons at Liverpool but this one probably stands out in terms of numbers. And if you add to that we also won the league, that would probably give him a fair chance.

“But fortunately for all the football fans around the world, he’s not the only player that has had a great season. I think we were able to watch great football players this season again. But if there’s ever a chance for him, it would be this season. If not, then he’s going to try to push even harder next season. That’s what I already know with him.”

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Manchester City travel to Fulham for their closing game of the season. Here’s Pep on the the Craven Cottage clash:

“We have to look at ourselves. We need one point to be in the Champions League next season and we have to go to win against a top side.”

Guardiola reveals that everyone is fit except defender John Stones although Rodri, who has returned to the squad after a long injury absence, isn’t ready to start.

Pep on the Spanish midfielder: “We’re really pleased he’s back, really pleased for the reaction for our people to him, I’m pretty sure he’s so pleased with that. There’s still a long way to be the Rodri he was.”

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Updated at 13.51 CEST

Pep Guardiola is now speaking to the press. I noticed yesterday that if the Premier League season had started at halfway, Manchester City would actually be top on goal difference. They’ve accumulated 37 points over the last 18 games, the same as Liverpool and Aston Villa and three more than Newcastle. Arsenal are fifth and Crystal Palace sixth in the second-half-of-the-season table. Then again, that doesn’t really take into account Arne Slot’s side taking their foot off the gas after the title was secured.

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Updated at 13.51 CEST

Thanks Luke. Let’s start with this rather lovely piece from Scotland.

And, talking of Scotland, allow me to post this from another corner of The Guardian. Those with good memories may recall Is This Music? soundtracking Match of the Day’s Goal of the Month competition.

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My work here is done. David Tindall is here to take you through the next bit.

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Updated at 13.28 CEST

Speaking of Ben Fisher, he will be at Wembley tomorrow to answer your questions about the Championship playoff final in the buildup to the big game: Sheffield United v Sunderland. If you have a burning desire to ask him something, please email Matchday.live@theguardian.com. You’ll also be able to post your questions in the comments on tomorrow’s blog.

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Updated at 13.29 CEST

Ben Fisher

At Bournemouth’s uber-cool Canford Magna training base, a 57-acre site on a former golf course, Andoni Iraola is surrounded by bells and whistles. There is a hydrotherapy pool and an altitude chamber. “For me, those are like the extras,” says a manager used to getting his hands dirty from his days at AEK Larnaca in Cyprus and Mirandés in northern Spain.

“I come from clubs where everybody has to do their job – and something else. I’ve needed to cut videos, make things, set up; we didn’t have goals with wheels so four of us would move them.” At Rayo Vallecano, even after promotion to La Liga, he explains how they happily made do with “training on one pitch and a third”.

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Updated at 13.25 CEST

What are the road closures for Tottenham’s Europa League trophy parade today, I hear you cry. Haringey Council has published this handy guide:

High Road (White Hart Lane to Lansdowne Road/Lordship Lane) 11am until midnight

Fore Street/High Road (A406 to White Hart Lane): 12pm until 8pm

Northumberland Park, Park Lane, Worcester Avenue and Lansdowne Road: 1pm until midnight

The Broadway (Edmonton Green to Plevna Road): 1.30pm until 8.30pm

Shelbourne Road (Lansdowne Road to Northumberland Park): 4.30pm until 9pm

Sterling Way and the A406 westbound slip-round: 4.30pm until 7.30pm

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Updated at 13.15 CEST

The Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is not feeling extra pressure ahead of a decisive three days when his players will fight to seal their place in the Premier League’s top five, before facing Real Betis in the Uefa Conference League final.

Five clubs will battle for three available Champions League slots on the final day of the English top flight, with fifth-placed Chelsea visiting seventh-placed Nottingham Forest, who are a point below them. Chelsea then fly to Poland for Wednesday’s Conference League final.

“I felt pressure since I joined the club, because this is a club where you need to win games,” Maresca said. His team could be boosted by the return of forwards Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu from injury, with both available for selection.

Maresca attempted to quash rumours about the possible departure of Enzo Fernández, saying “yes” when asked if the Argentinian midfielder would stay at Chelsea.

“He is one of our captains ... this season has been very good and he can be even better next season, starting from the first day,” Maresca said.

Maresca said he would make changes before Wednesday’s Conference League final, as there was not enough time to recover after Sunday’s match.

The manager was concerned that not enough attention was being paid to player welfare, highlighting a packed calendar that could continue until July with Chelsea playing in the Club World Cup starting next month.

“If (some players) are going to be tired, they’re not going to play... I don’t think there is (much) attention about player welfare. Otherwise it’s not normal, the amount of games that they play,” he said. (Reuters)

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Quiz of the week, anyone?

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A dispatch from Australia from Jack Snape:

Ange Postecoglou’s Europa League triumph has delivered a record audience for Stan, which has been on a spree of acquisitions to consolidate its status as a major rival to the Dazn-owned Kayo Sports amid heightened competition in Australian sports broadcasting.

Stan’s live audience for Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on Thursday was the highest for a Europa League match since the streaming service obtained the Uefa club competition rights in 2021.

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Ange Postecoglou’s Europa League triumph has delivered a record audience for Stan, which has been on a spree of acquisitions to consolidate its status as a major rival to the Dazn-owned Kayo Sports amid heightened competition in Australian sports broadcasting.

Stan’s live audience for Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on Thursday was the highest for a Europa League match since the streaming service obtained the Uefa club competition rights in 2021.

The number of viewers also eclipsed the audience for every Stan broadcast of the Champions League – the most prestigious European football competition – apart from the 2022 decider between Real Madrid and Liverpool, when the provider still offered a 30-day free trial and saw a spike in temporary sign-ups likely from Reds fans.

Ben Kimber, director of Stan Sport, said the audience watching Spurs and Postecoglou’s victory was double the previous Europa League record.

“Off the back of a momentous morning for Ange Postecoglou and Australian football as a whole, we saw Aussies tuning into the blockbuster clash between Tottenham and Man United in droves,” Kimber said.

“It underlines our commitment to premium sport and world-class football, and shows the appetite that exists for it in this country.”

The Europa League final and record-breaking audience caps off a busy period for Stan, amid increasing activity in the broader sports broadcasting sector and growing speculation around the division of football rights in Australia.

The first benefits for Kayo Sports subscribers under new owner Dazn was confirmed this week when the Fifa Club World Cup – which has an international arrangement with Dazn – was confirmed to be broadcast by Australia’s leading sports streamer in June.

The arrangement is another step in the splintering of football across streaming providers. However, some relief could be imminent according to reports that Optus Sport is considering relinquishing its English Premier League rights to the content-hungry Stan.

Stan and Nine secured a deal last week to show international rugby union including the home men’s 2027 and women’s 2029 World Cups, a month after securing access for Wallabies, Wallaroos and Super Rugby Pacific matches until 2030.

Its other recent deals include the Sonny Bill Williams and Paul Gallen fight, and the fast-growing mixed martial arts league Professional Fighters League on top of its existing stable of rights which includes tennis, cycling and motorsport such as World Rally Championship, Indycar and Formula E.

The chief executive at Stan owner Nine, Matt Stanton, confirmed this month the network was also interested in Formula One rights when they become available next year. They are currently held by Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

This week Amazon Prime also confirmed details around more than 100 NBA and WNBA games and additional coverage starting next season available to all Prime members. Alongside its existing ICC tournament coverage of cricket, the platform will also offer NBA League Pass subscriptions for those wanting access to more matches.

ESPN became available to Australian Disney+ subscribers in March, including live NBA and MLB coverage. Disney+ has secured the European rights to the Women’s Champions League, although the Australian broadcast partner is still to be confirmed.

Stan and 9Gem will broadcast the men’s Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale starting at 5am AEST on Sunday 1 June.

Juventus 0-0 Milan (2-3 pens) 2003 Champions League final

The attacking talents on show for both Italian sides were frightening. Juventus partnered David Trezeguet in attack with Alessandro Del Piero, while Milan opted for Pippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko in front of the creativity of Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Rui Costa. Such was the embarrassment of riches available to Carlo Ancelotti, Rivaldo was an unused sub for Milan. Yet after 120 minutes, the final remained goalless. Marcello Lippi, who had succeeded Ancelotti as Juve manager in 2001, was particularly culpable, having brought on the defensively minded Antonio Conte as a makeshift No 10 at half-time. How they missed the suspended Pavel Nedved. Milan prevailed in the shootout, with Paolo Maldini lifting the trophy at Old Trafford, but the final did nothing to dispel the belief that Italian football is a defensive game.

Porto 1-0 Braga 2011 Europa League final

A goal of exquisite beauty punctuated an otherwise drab affair as Radamel Falcao earned victory for André Villas-Boas’s side, a triumph that would contribute to the Portuguese manager moving to Chelsea that summer. Falcao’s looping header from a brilliant Fredy Guarín cross was the only highlight, with Braga looking only to frustrate their neighbours before conceding and unable to muster any sort of response once they fell behind. Even Villas-Boas conceded his disappointment that the final had “not been the spectacle” he had envisaged, while the Guardian’s Paul Doyle, on liveblogging duties that night, was a little more forthright in his summary of the match: “Well that was torpid. Nice enough goal to win it, though.”

Tottenham 1-0 Man Utd 2025 Europa League final

It is often the way that finals contested by teams from the same country can be tight, cagey affairs – just look at this list – which is normally due to the finalists knowing each other well and often being concerned about losing to a long-established rival. In this case, it was much more to do with the fact that Spurs and Manchester United were lurching from dreadful domestic seasons, in which both sides lurked just above the Premier League relegation zone. The carrot of Champions League qualification and the stick of derision or potentially someone losing their job probably didn’t help in opening up the contest, which was fittingly decided by a dismal Brennan Johnson deflection. Spurs fans won’t care about that, or Ange Postecoglou’s gameplan, which the Australian admitted afterwards was about “minimising moments by having a strong foundation” – manager-speak for putting 10 men behind the ball for almost the entire second half.

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Malmö 1979 European Cup final

The fairytale of Nottingham Forest winning their first European Cup under Brian Clough often seems to omit how the final against the Swedish club was a drab affair. In an age when back-passes to the keeper were common, especially in tight and important matches decided by the odd goal, it was a game heavy on offsides and stoppages. Forest had thrilled many en route to the final, including in a 4-1 win over Grasshoppers in the first leg of their quarter-final, and a 3-3 draw with Cologne in the first leg of their semi-final, but a tall, physical Malmö nullified Forest in the final, before Trevor Francis’s headed winner, in his first European appearance for the club, mercifully prevented the final from going into extra time. As ever, though, it was Clough who had the last word: “It wasn’t a great game but they were a boring team, Malmö. In fact the Swedes are quite a boring nation. But we still won, so who cares?”

Bayern 1-1 Valencia (5-4 pens) 2001 Champions League final

Manchester United shares have slumped after the football club was defeated in the final of Europe’s second-tier tournament, which will ultimately lead to £100m in lost revenues.

United lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Uefa Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday night, dealing a further blow to its billionaire owners, the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It means the club has failed to qualify for next season’s lucrative Uefa Champions League, Europe’s top-tier football competition.

Manchester United shares fell by nearly 8% in early trading on Thursday, their steepest drop in more than eight months, but later pared back losses to 6.7%. The stock, which has lost about a fifth of its value this year, had hit its highest level in 11 weeks hours before the game.

Shareholders will be hugely disappointed that the Premier League club has missed out on the lucrative place in next season’s Champions League. Participationleads to earnings from tickets, broadcast money, and sponsor bonuses estimated at more than £100m.

The defeat means United will not play in European competition at all next season, which will damage the club’s revenues and profits for 2025-26 as a rebuild of its squad gets under way. It also plans to build a new £2bn, 100,000-seat stadium that would be the largest in the UK.

United’s former first-team coach René Meulensteen had called it a “crossroads moment” after “the most disastrous season”. The club is languishing in 16th place in the Premier League, just above Spurs, and is heading for its lowest finish in the table in 50 years.

Following the 2005 takeover by the Glazers, the majority owners, United is more than £1bn in debt, leading to hefty interest payments every year. The club reported a loss of £113m last year (compared with £26m for Spurs), which took United’s total pre-tax losses to £300m over the past three years.

It has taken tough actions such as cutting jobs, increasing members’ match-day ticket prices to £66 with no reductions for seniors or children, raising parking charges for disabled fans and scrapping the steward-of-the-match £50 award.

The minority owner Ratcliffe decided in February to cut about 200 more jobs to help the club avoid going bust.

The Tottenham afterparty was in full swing at the Hotel Carlton in Bilbao; players, management and family members just surrendering to the moment. Many of the players were still in their full match kits, medals draped around their necks and the centrepiece was the Europa League trophy, 15kg of the purest bliss.

It is heavier than you think, according to Son Heung-min. “Very heavy, very heavy,” he said. The Spurs captain had accidentally head-butted it as he hoisted it high into the sky after the 1-0 win over Manchester United, a teammate having pushed into him as he performed the move he had dreamed about ever since signing from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. The angry red cut on Son’s forehead was a part of the tapestry.

It was about 3am and, suddenly, the lights in the Carlton’s function space were switched on. How do you think that went down? According to one of the revellers, it was the lamest attempt in the history of lame attempts to end a party, to usher people off to their beds. Nobody was leaving. And so they did not, the celebrations pushing on from the small hours into the slightly larger ones. It was the night that nobody connected to the club wanted to end. When you have waited 17 years for a trophy, 41 years for one in Europe, this is going to happen.

There was food laid on. Probably. Maybe … The drinks flowed. One of the musicians who plays at Spurs’ stadium did a turn. There was a DJ. And for Ange Postecoglou, who was there with his family, posing happily for pictures, it was an impossibly sweet time.

Vindication had to be prominent in his emotions. When he pointed out after the derby defeat by Arsenal last September that he always won a trophy in his second season at a club, it was an attempt to rally the troops behind him, to inspire confidence. Postecoglou did not imagine that the comment would track him so remorselessly; the memes, the growing levels of ridicule. As he has suggested, this is life at Spurs.

But Postecoglou has delivered again and in the fuzzy afterglow, as the club prepare for an open- top bus parade on Friday at 5.30pm, there were two questions that pounded, both related. Did the glory of San Mamés make this a successful season, making up for the historically awful Premier League campaign? And will it mean that the lights do not go out on Postecoglou’s managerial tenure?

Ask any Spurs fan about the first – certainly right now – and they would probably say that the trophy trumps everything, even a season in which they have lost 21 times in the league, a club record for a 38-game campaign. If it becomes 22 on Sunday against Brighton in the final match, it would equal their all- time low from 1934-35 and that was across 42 games. In terms of the win-loss-draw record, the club have only been worse off once – in 1914-15.

Whether the chair, Daniel Levy, feels the same way is key; it is easy to believe he does not, even if Champions League qualification via the Europa League has been salvaged.

It was interesting to hear the reaction of the players to the second question, many of them treading a diplomatic line. Guglielmo Vicario and Micky van de Ven essentially dropped their shoulders and stressed a desire merely to celebrate. Brennan Johnson, who scored the goal in the final, his 18th of the season, said that “if there’s ever a time for a mic drop, it’s now” – raising the prospect of Postecoglou striding off gloriously into the sunset.

None of the squad explicitly called on the hierarchy to stick with Postecoglou, despite showing their obvious affection for him, although Son came the closest. “He won the trophy, nobody [else] did it, so … ” the South Korean said. “Look, it’s not up to me or the players. But we just have to look at the facts; at the fact thatwe hadn’t won in 17 years. It’s the manager who wins the trophy. So we see what’s going to happen.”

The Spurs supporters had been heard singing Postecoglou’s song in one of the tight streets that led towards the stadium before the game. And afterwards, at a little before midnight, as he and the players stood before the packed Spurs end, a wall of brilliant white, it was heard again; the rolling, rhythmic tribute. If Postecoglou is to leave – and he says that he wants to stay – it would be with their eternal gratitude and as a legend. Only two previous Spurs managers have won European silverware: Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

Postecoglou gave a speech at the afterparty in which he talked of his players as family and paid tribute to their own nearest and dearest. In the team meeting before the game, he had shown the players a series of video messages from their family members, a man- management touch that went a long way.

“It was very emotional and in the back of our minds they were a big part of the game,” Vicario said. “My mum and dad spoke on my bit. They just said to fight for the badge, for Tottenham Hotspur and to make them happy.”

Son said: “I was emotional when I watched the video and I desperately wanted to win for the family. People think players are deserving of this trophy but it’s the families who deserve this for their sacrifice, their commitment.”

It was a difficult decision for Postecoglou to omit Son from the starting XI; the player had only recently returned from injury, which was a factor. Postecoglou preferred Richarlison, hoping to harness his physical threat. Son said last week that the reason he had stayed at Spurs for 10 years was to succeed where so many others had failed and win something. Being a substitute in one of the most important games of his life was not a part of his thinking, and he did not attempt to hide it.

“Look, you always want to start,” Son said. “Obviously, I was a bit disappointed. But this was not a stage where you can be selfish. You just have to think about what the team needs and, of course, I was ready to do it. It was difficult but I was committed to the team.”

For Levy, an even bigger decision looms.

LADS, IT’S UNITED

You won, [Ange]. Enjoy [Bigger Vase], I hope it makes you happy. Dear lord, what a sad little [final]. You ruined my night completely so you could have [Bigger Vase] and I hope now you can spend it on lessons in [tactics] and [recruitment]. Because [your team] had all the [season] of a reversing dump truck without any tyres on. So Ange, take your [Bigger Vase] and get off my [TV screen].

Watching the Bigger Vase final might have been more painful than Charlie Nicholas’ Sky Sports News b@nter, but you have to hand it to Ange Postecoglou. In one swoop, with one absolutely abysmal goal, the Australian has won Tottenham Hotspur’s first trophy in 17 years, secured Bigger Cup qualification and delivered on his promise that he “always wins a trophy in my second season”. Being bold and coming good on a footballing prophecy is bada$$, whichever way you cut it. We loved Brian Clough for his bravado and brash quotes but only because he could back it up. When José Mourinho announced he was “the Special One”, shortly before laying waste to the rest of the Premier League, we all nodded along afterwards with a begrudging respect. Heck, even when Sean Dyche suggested on co-commentary for this year’s FA Cup final that Crystal Palace should “hit it up to the big man” to beat Manchester City’s press, 10 seconds before they went long to Jean-Philippe Mateta who set up their winning goal, Football Daily sat back in awe. So fair play to Big Ange.

“All I’ve done in my career is win,” roared Postecoglou, as he channelled the vibes of Carlo Ancelotti atop a rooftop bus, wearing sunnies and smoking a cigar. “Even Daniel [Levy, Spurs’ chairman] said: ‘We’ve gone for winners [in the past] and now we have Ange.’ Mate, I’m a winner. All I know is I’m going to go back to my hotel room, open a bottle of scotch, have a couple of quiet ones and prepare for a big parade on Friday. I don’t feel like I’ve completed the job yet, we’re still building. The moment I took the job, I wanted to win something. We’ve done that. It’s the toughest thing I’ve ever done.”

Watching that final was genuinely one of the toughest things Football Daily has done, but at least the celebrations and shenanigans were worth staying up for. James Maddison had a lovely pop at Roy Keane in his post-match interview. Archie Gray showed exceptional ball knowledge by doing the Ronaldinho/Bigger Cup anthem lip-licking meme (Gray was three when Ronnie originally did that). You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be touched by Son Heung-min sobbing uncontrollably into the shoulder of his father and renowned taskmaster, Dad Heung-min Son Woong-jung, after the final whistle with the first club trophy of the South Korean’s career.

Just as they have been all season, Manchester United were dreadful and deserved nothing from the contest, with Ruben Amorim admitting afterwards his head was on the chopping block. “I have nothing to show to the fans,” shrugged the Portuguese. “If the board and fans feel I am not the right guy, I will go in the next day without any conversation about compensation, but I will not quit.” Football isn’t always the beautiful game. Sometimes you just need to win, and that’s what Spurs did. Congratulations to them and good luck next season in Bigger Cup. Based upon whatever that was in Bilbao, they might need it.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Obviously it’s hard for everyone. Our season was sh!t. We didn’t beat anyone in the league. We lacked a lot of things” – Alejandro Garnacho brings some understatement to his funky analysis of Manchester United’s season.

Re: yesterday’s Football Daily letters. It doesn’t seem to have occurred to your other 1,056 readers that, far from making the Premier League a laughing stock, the fact that that the 16th and 17th ‘best’ in the Greatest League in the World™ competed in the final for the second best Euro trophy shows the strength in depth and talent within that league. In fact, if one wants to be unkind, you could say that all of the other ‘European’ clubs in the competition must have been rubbish if they couldn’t prevent this from happening” – Martin Bleasdale (and no others).

Someone please give me the Manchester United manager job please. If I do nothing, absolutely nothing, they will still finish better than this year. And I get to watch 38 games from the dugout, chewing gum, throwing tantrums, fighting with the officials, gesticulating wildly, giving interviews. And I am ready to take 20% of Ruben Amorim’s salary. That is a huge amount saved for Big Sir Jim” – Krishna Moorthy.

For Spurs, a trophy. For United, atrophy” – Mark McFadden.

Not sure if I’ve been in an alternate dimension, but bravo to the Magpies, Eagles and now the, erm, C0cks on ending their respective avian trophy droughts. Special mention to Spurs (and Manchester United) for their part in the most awful, inept match I’ve seen in some time. As someone watching Luton all season (and thus being a connoisseur of such things) that’s quite the achievement” – Kevin Goddard.

Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Martin Bleasdale, who lands some Football Weekly merch. We’ll be in touch. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here.

RECOMMENDED LISTENING

The Football Weekly pod squad are back for an extra dose of aural entertainment as they pick over Bigger Vase final.

For Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham, there was only one story, one mission. It was not about what happens next with the manager; that can wait. It was about grasping an opportunity that does not come around very often, about emerging from what has felt like a generation’s worth of jibes; about winning.

On a golden night for their longsuffering followers, they chased the baggage from their backs, they changed the narrative. Yet again, Postecoglou won in his second season at a club. For the first time since 2008, Spurs got their hands on a trophy.

There was an idea that success here could do more than rescue the season and bring Champions League qualification; it could unlock something. Yet in the release of all that pent-up frustration upon the full-time whistle, all that mattered was these 90 minutes – plus those nerve-shredding seven extra ones – inside this stadium.

It was a long way from being a classic but try telling that to the hordes in white who danced and pulled each other tight when it was all over, lost in the emotion. Spurs scored just before the interval when Brennan Johnson attacked a Pape Sarr cross, the ball spinning home – just about – with assistance from the unfortunate Manchester United defender, Luke Shaw. And thereafter, Postecoglou’s team simply defended. They did so with their lives. Their expected goals statistic for the second half? 0.00. It did not matter. The only thing that did was keeping United out.

Cristian Romero, who started as the captain after Postecoglou named Son Heung-min among the substitutes, was a titan of strength, ably supported by his central defensive partner, Micky van de Ven. But there were heroes everywhere in white. Like Sarr, whose energy was remarkable in the No 10 role. Like Yves Bissouma.

United had their openings, none bigger than when Rasmus Højlund looped a header goalwards in the 68th minute and saw Van de Ven take off towards his own line, stretching out one of those long legs to acrobatically hook clear from high above it; one of the defining images.

Plenty of the others came after full time. Son’s tears; after 10 years at Spurs, he finally has what he has craved. Postecoglou’s broad smile. He has succeeded where Mauricio Pochettino, José Mourinho, Antonio Conte and all the rest failed. If he departs, after what has been a historically terrible Premier League season, he will do so as a legend.

Spurs will arrange the open-top bus parade – it is slated for Friday – and, hey, their fans will probably tell you that they have now won more than Arsenal over the last five years.

United fought until the end, Shaw working Guglielmo Vicario deep into stoppage time with a header but yet again, they paid the price for their lack of end product. Winning a trophy would not have papered over the cracks that have yawned wide during a truly awful domestic season but it would have given them a good feeling. They departed with only emptiness.

The hype had been extraordinary: redemption or Armageddon. For both clubs. It felt as black and white as that. But if the line about Bilbao bobbins got a laugh, it overlooked how hard the teams had fought to get here; how much it meant.

The nerves jangled; hearts hammered. On the pitch and in the stands. There were errors as both teams fought to settle; fouls conceded, clearances fluffed. It was end to end, the tempo lifted from a weekend Premier League fixture. Composure was sorely missing.

Postecoglou has shown that he can be more flexible with his approach in the knockout rounds of this competition. It need not be relentless waves of intricate attacks. Spurs were happy to look long for Dominic Solanke.

The individual battles pounded. It was easy to fixate on Amad Diallo versus Destiny Udogie, with the Spurs left-back intent on taking risks, on driving upfield – and not without success. Diallo was booked for tugging at his shirt during the first half. In the other direction, Diallo shimmered with menace.

Spurs blew the game open in the 42nd minute. There had been few clear chances up to that point. Sarr had a shot blocked after a loose Harry Maguire pass for Shaw, Johnson having got in on the initial phase while Diallo flashed in a couple of dangerous balls.

The breakthrough was of a piece with the overall scrappiness. Sarr’s whipped cross from the left was dangerous, with Johnson making a trademark run from the far post. He could not finish on the bounce and that was when fate intervened, the ball rearing up, striking Shaw’s upper arm and squirming, via a brush with Johnson’s boot, into the corner beyond André Onana’s desperate dive.

United had been here before this season; trailing Spurs, needing to find an answer. In both of the league fixtures and the Carabao Cup quarter-final, they could not do so, losing all three.

Spurs sank deeper, measuring their progress in duels won, clearances executed. Udogie made a crucial tackle on Diallo inside the area before surging forward at the other end, narrowly missing a pass to Solanke. Son got on for Richarlison and Spurs dug even deeper, the Van de Ven clearance standing as a symbol. Vicario had spilled a Bruno Fernandes free-kick and Højlund was able to measure his header.

Ruben Amorim made changes, including Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee for Mason Mount and Højlund. United probed. Fernandes blew a header when well placed and Garnacho extended Vicario. Postecoglou sent on Kevin Danso for Johnson and went to a back five. When Vicario denied Shaw, Spurs were there.