The Sun

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.

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.

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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.

ROY KEANE predicted the winner of the all-English Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham.

United and Spurs lock horns on Wednesday in Bilbao with both teams in dire need of Champions League qualification as they are set to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League.

And Man Utd legend Keane, 53, believes his former club will "edge it" thanks to their history and the quality of Bruno Fernandes.

The Sky Sports pundit admits "there’s not much between" the two finalists, despite Tottenham beating the Red Devils twice in the Prem and eliminating them from the Carabao Cup quarter-finals this season.

However, the iconic midfielder is confident in United's heavy legacy and the fact they have won a lot more trophies than the North Londoners these past few years.

Tottenham haven't lifted any silverware since winning the League Cup in 2008.

Whereas the Manchester giants count four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, one Champions League trophy and one Europa League honour in the last 17 years.

Keane told Sky Sports: "You still have to fancy United, someone like Bruno can produce, the history of Manchester United still carries a little bit of weight.

"There’s not much between them [in the league] but come the crunch, come the final, United’s history in finals, them winning cups the last few years, you’d like to think they would have a bit more knowledge around the game than Spurs.

"That might edge it for them, and I think Bruno can produce that bit of magic."

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SunSpoirt have revealed that United will not host a victory parade if they win the Europa League.

That is out of respect for the hundreds of staff who have lost their jobs this season amid minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe's brutal cuts.

The players and club have agreed celebrations beyond the final would be in poor taste.

I FANCY Tottenham to beat Manchester United in the Europa League final — because they have got a much better squad.

If Spurs do win, I think they might keep Ange Postecoglou . . . and he’d be silly to walk away.

Even though some people think that he will, because he has had enough.

You can see a difference in him but that comes with losing. When you’re winning, you can have a laugh and a joke.

Now you can see an edge to him because he’s being asked questions about his future and he’s getting beat week in, week out.

It’s going to change his persona. That’s for sure. I didn’t really have a bad time like that at Spurs.

But I did elsewhere, and when someone puts a mic under your nose, it’s not easy to keep answering questions. Your personality changes.

So I understand how Ange feels.

But he isn’t going to get a better club than Tottenham if he leaves. I looked at the bench the other day and it’s a very strong group.

Unlike United, I think they have recruited well and whatever people say, they have spent some money.

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Centre-half Cristian Romero is a World Cup winner and Micky van de Ven is a good player.

In midfield they are strong.

I like Dejan Kulusevski while striker Dominic Solanke was a big signing. Spurs are in far better shape going forward than United, miles better.

Next year, with everybody fit, Tottenham could be a top-six club again.

If they won this competition, and could add a couple of good players, they could have a really good season.

Ange just needs to survive to have the chance to work with that team again.

And I think he’d probably survive if he wins the final. But, by resting so many players for league games, I’m not sure he is giving Spurs the best chance of doing so.

I know they’ve had really bad injury problems but it does you no good to keep losing.

You want to win a couple of games before a final. It breeds some confidence.

A commentator I heard said Spurs play different football in Europe.

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

Of course they do, as the teams they’re playing are not as good as their Premier League rivals.

If we’re honest, the Europa League is quite a second-rate competition.

I won the Intertoto Cup with West Ham. People called it the Inter Two-Bob Cup.

But these competitions aren’t an awful lot better.

Not so long ago Spurs were playing in the Champions League final, which is about ten grades above.

But a trophy’s a trophy. It would be nice for Spurs to win one after a long wait.

And they are better placed to build on winning than United.

The only way United get the money they need to improve their squad is by winning the final and reaching the Champions League.

If Spurs do win, I think they might keep Ange Postecoglou . . . and he’d be silly to walk away.

Harry Redknapp

But, even then, I’m not sure they would get it right.

United are four or five good players off being anywhere near good enough. They’re that far away.

Unless they recruit fantastically well, you wouldn’t see them being anywhere near the top six again next season.

It’s hard to believe they bossed English football for so long under Sir Alex. I see him at the races.

He wouldn’t be critical in public, but I do wonder what he must think at times when he sees the teams there.

Alex wasn’t a coach. But he was a great judge of a footballer and people.

He signed great players and put them in the right positions. And he brought in personalities he thought could cope with playing for United.

Managers now, including Ruben Amorim, have to rely on the judgment of others.

A bad situation could get even worse

There can be so many people in a recruitment committee that the manager only has one-sixth of the vote.­

Only Bruno Fernandes would get in one of Alex’s teams.

Look at the money that United have wasted — like £85.5million on Antony.

And the players they have let go. Scott McTominay is two games away from winning the Serie A title with Napoli.

He was Man United through and through. Those are the sort of players you want around you.

Amorim is probably too honest. He admits United are miles away.

He knows the club must get that money if they are going to bring in the players they need.

And if they don’t have it, a bad situation could get even worse.

CRYSTAL PALACE'S Eberechi Eze could be auditioning for a move to Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

The 26-year-old delivered a masterclass in the semi-final, scoring a stunning goal to lead his side to a 3–0 victory over Aston Villa.

His performance not only secured Palace a place in the final against Pep Guardiola's side but also reignited transfer speculation linking him with several Premier League giants.

Throughout this campaign, the midfielder has been a standout performer for Palace, recording 12 goals and 11 assists.

SunSport understands that Eze has long been on the radar of top clubs, including Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal, all of whom have expressed interest in acquiring his services.

Tottenham Hotspur in particular are believed to hold a strong advantage in the race for Eze.

However, with Kevin De Bruyne’s future imminent exit Guardiola’s side may suddenly find themselves in need of a midfielder with Eze’s skill set and Premier League experience.

Sources suggest Eze is determined to play Champions League football and will take his time in deciding his next move.

Arsenal have also been monitoring Eze’s progress. While not as aggressive in their pursuit, the Gunners are reportedly keeping a close eye on his situation.

As the transfer window approaches, Eze’s future remains uncertain however, a decisive performance in the FA Cup final would undoubtedly increase his stock.

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Last summer, Crystal Palace turned down several offers from Newcastle for defender Marc Guehi.

But the centre-back is entering the final year of his contract - and is prepared to run it down to land a dream transfer to Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Palace are well aware that Eze has been incredibly professional, staying loyal when Michael Olise left for Bayern Munich and has since established himself as a key figure under Oliver Glasner.

But this summer will test chairman Steve Parish’s resolve.

EMI MARTINEZ broke down in tears as he waved goodbye to Aston Villa fans after the victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

The Villans ended their last home game of the season with a 2-0 win over the North London side.

Martinez, 32, kept a clean sheet in the match against the Europa League finalists.

But at the end of the game, there was little celebration from the Argentine goalkeeper.

The Villa star could be seen teary-eyed as he applauded the home crowd.

The former Arsenal ace has been linked with a move away from Villa Park with Saudi Arabia touted as a possible destination.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said: "What a signing he has been.

"Amazing player, great goalkeeper, but it looks like he was waving goodbye.

"Trying to find someone to fill that void will be very difficult."

Roy Keane insisted that he would be a "big loss".

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He added: "He has been a good character, some people like him.

"He can be annoying at times with some of his antics.

"But he has been a great signing for them, he'll be a big loss as it does look like he his saying his final goodbyes."

Manager Unai Emery was asked about the goalkeeper's future in his post-match press conference.

The Spaniard was unable to give any assurances that Martinez would be at the club next season.

He said: "We will see.

"Of course, it is the last match (of the season) here, and I don't know.

"We will see about the team, the players.

"Of course, they are responding on the field, at the moment they are responding and they are so, so focused in how we are preparing and playing each match."

Martinez has been ever-present in the Villa team since his £20million switch from Arsenal in 2020.

He joined the club after only a few months of regular first-team football in the Premier League.

He has since gone on to become one of the best goalkeepers in world football and won the World Cup in 2022.

The goalkeeper was also awarded with the Yashin Trophy in 2023 and 2024.

Martinez also posted on Instagram a picture of himself looking emotional as he waved to the supporters.

He captioned a post: "Thank you for all your support this season.

"We finished strong at home but we got one more final to go."

Emery also mentioned Leon Bailey who was also in tears at the full-time whistle.

He added: "Of course, Leon Bailey is playing now less because other players are responding very well. They are performing well.

"And we are going to play Manchester United for the last three points. And for us it will be very important again, to prepare, to be focused everybody.

"And of course, then we will see about everything, how we are going to try to get better for the next season."

UNAI EMERY had unlikely heroes Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara to thank for three crucial points as Villa turned the heat on their Champions League rivals.

The Spaniard celebrated his 100th Premier League game in charge of Villa with a hard-earned 54th win.

Konsa pounced to grab his third goal of the season but it was Kamara who supplied the cherry on the top of the cake with his first Premier goal - at the 69th attempt!

The win saw Villa leapfrog Manchester City and move to within two points of second-placed Arsenal as Villa set a new club record with their 32nd win of the season in all competitions.

Emery's men came into this game brimming with confidence…. and a burning sense of injustice.

They were unbeaten in 20 home games across all competitions - their best run for 48 years - and had won their last seven on the spin at Villa Park.

But there were empty seats as many fans couldn't make the hastily re-arranged date after the Premier League allowed Spurs more time to prepare for Wednesday's Europa League final.

Ange Postecoglou wrapped his stars up in cotton wool ahead of their midweek trip to Bilbao.

Guglielmo Vicario, Rodrigo Bentancur, Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro were all on the bench, while Sergio Reguilon started a Premier League game for Spurs for the first time since April 2022.

That meant the spotlight fell on Son Heung-min who faced a final audition ahead of Wednesday's cup final.

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The Spurs skipper only returned from a foot injury for the last half hour of his side's 2-0 loss against Crystal Palace.

With just five days to go, this was his last chance to stake his claim for a starting place in Bilbao.

And he certainly gave Matty Cash a torrid time of it.

He burst past the startled full-back after five minutes but lacked that vital match sharpness and allowed the Villa man to recover and take the pace off his shot.

At the other end Antonin Kinsky got a vital touch to divert a cross away from Ollie Watkins' waiting head before John McGinn fired just over after dispossessing Djed Spence.

Villa were finding Spurs a tough nut to crack and Son was beginning to find his feet.

He chopped inside Cash before rifling a ferocious effort just over, then produced a fine pass to set Wilson Odobert clear.

The ball was worked wide to Mathys Tel who drilled in a low cross which Odobert turned goalwards with a cute Cruyff-flick but Emi Martinez reacted superbly to block with his left boot.

It was end to end stuff and Kinsky surpassed himself with a full-length save to prevent Morgan Rogers' delicate flick from finding the far corner of his net.

Villa's frustration was growing and Cash was booked for waving an imaginary yellow card at Pape Sarr, before Archie Gray joined him for clattering Ollie Watkins.

Marco Asensio then came close with a shot which flashed inches wide of the far post.

But at the break Postecoglou would have been the happier boss with the stalemate.

Ezri Konsa and Tel got the second half off to a bad-tempered start when they clashed and both captains were called in to have a word.

Tel escaped with a warning despite flashing an elbow at Konsa and Emery tapped a finger to his temple to warn his players to think about who was benefitting from the disruption.

But the tension was suddenly lifted just before the hour as Villa broke the deadlock with their 16th set-piece goal of the season in the Prem.

McGinn's deep corner was headed down by Watkins at the back post and Ezri Konsa spun to steer the ball beyond Kinsky from inside the six-yard-box.

That goal lifted a weight off Villa and Kinsky did well to deny Watkins before McGinn fired just wide as Emery's men pushed for the second goal needed to kill-off Spurs.

It finally arrived after 73 minutes from the unlikeliest scorer as Kamara broke his Villa duck.

Rogers fed him at the edge of the Spurs box and Asensio created space with a clever decoy run and Kamara cashed in to slam the ball beyond Kinsky from the edge of the box.

TOTTENHAM have been hit by another injury blow after Pape Matar Sarr was escorted down the tunnel by medical staff.

The midfielder was taken off in the 53rd minute and replaced by Yves Bissouma.

He was immediately seen to by medical staff and gingerly walked straight down the tunnel at Aston Villa.

Sarr, 22, is now an injury doubt for the Europa League final next Wednesday although Postecoglou said he was taken off as a precaution.

He said: "Pape felt something in his back so we took him off as a bit of a precaution.

"I don’t think it’s anything too significant speaking to him afterwards but he just felt something in his back and I think Mikey (Moore) was okay."

It is yet another blow for Spurs, who have lost James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski to injury in the build-up.

That means Ange Postecoglou will be scratching his head over who to start in midfield, with Lucas Bergvall also out.

Postecoglou made sweeping changes for the visit to Villa Park with the crucial trip to Bilbao on the cards.

But Spurs could not avoid another injury, which has been the case all season long.

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It comes after Postecoglou said his side "could not afford to lose" any more players to injury.

He said ahead of the Villa clash: "The reality of our existence at the moment is we can't lose another player to an injury. 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."

RUBEN AMORIM has no intention of quitting Manchester United — but knows the pressure will ramp up if he fails to win the Europa League.

The Portuguese boss confirmed he paid for 30 of his staff to take their families to Wednesday’s all-English ­final showdown with Tottenham in Spain.

Amorim stunned supporters after ­Sunday’s defeat to West Ham when he admitted he will have to be replaced if he cannot turn United around at the start of next season.

Amorim, who has won only six out of 25 Prem matches in charge, said: “Since I arrived here I am always talking about the standards.

“I cannot see the team having these results — especially in the Premier League — and not say anything and not take the responsibility.

“It’s just that. I have a clear idea what to do. I understand the problems of the team and I am far from quitting.

“What I am saying is we need to perform this season and in the future or else they will change us.

“That is a normal thing. That was my feeling after West Ham and is still my feeling today.”

Amorim has tried to play down the importance of the Bilbao showdown.

But he accepts losing to Tottenham, who last won silverware in 2008, would crank up the pressure.

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He added: “For sure, if we don’t win, that is clear . . . but I am not concerned about that.

“It’s going to be really bad. I don’t want to use that as an excuse, it’s going to be really tough.”

Amorim’s move to pay for tickets out of his own pocket — after the club said they would not fund them — was an attempt to boost morale following a difficult time at Old Trafford.

With up to 450 redundancies announced as part of co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting measures, staff fear more cuts will follow should United fail to beat Spurs.

Amorim explained his decision to pay for the tickets and said: “In this moment for our club sometimes it is hard when to give, when to take, to respect the people that are losing their jobs.

“It is complicated for the club to start giving to other members of staff so it is a really hard position.

“That situation was explained so my reaction was to help. It is not going to change my life.

“So I wanted to help the staff be there and comfortable and be a better staff for the final.

Three stars sidelined

“Then they talk to the players and the players have the same reaction.

“Everybody wants their families there, the staff there but it’s hard to manage things in our club. So it’s a simple thing.”

Amorim confirmed Leny Yoro, Matthijs De Ligt and Diogo Dalot will not feature on Friday's Prem clash at Chelsea in the hope they can be fit for the Europa League final.

The United boss said: “I don’t know if they are going to be available.

“We are going to try and push because it is a final and all the players want to play in that.

“They will not go to Chelsea but there is a possibility we will get some of them back.”

DEJAN KULUSEVSKI has been ruled out of the Europa League final after undergoing knee surgery - leaving Tottenham with a midfield crisis.

Swede Kulusevski hobbled off in the 19th minute of Sunday’s 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace with an injury to his right kneecap after a heavy challenge with Marc Guehi.

The 25-year-old went under the knife earlier today and will now miss next week’s showpiece with Manchester United in Bilbao.

It leaves boss Ange Postecoglou without his three most creative midfielders with Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison already out for the rest of the season.

Young Swede Bergvall, 19, damaged his ankle ligaments in training at the end of last month.

England star Maddison, 28, faces three months out with a knee problem picked up in the semi-final first leg win over Bodo/Glimt earlier this month.

Postecoglou will have only four fit central midfielders - Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Archie Gray - for the three positions in the middle of the park.

It remains to be seen how serious Kulusevski’s injury is with Postecoglou describing it only as a “knock” on Monday.

Big Ange will give an update on Thursday at his press conference previewing Friday's Premier League trip to Aston Villa.

But there are fears Kulusevski could miss the start of next season and is definitely out of next week’s final.

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A Spurs statement read: “We can confirm that Dejan Kulusevski suffered an injury to his right patella in our Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last weekend.

“Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today and will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately.

“We're all with you, Deki.”

Postecoglou’s squad have been beset by injuries all season long and had a five-week period over the winter where their absentee list was in the double figures.

It has severely impacted their league campaign, which has seen them lose a record 20 games and put Postecoglou’s position in jeopardy whether they triumph in Europe or not.

Spurs were boosted on Sunday by the return to action of Son Heung-min.

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

The Tottenham skipper had been out for a month with a foot issue.

Son, 32, came on as a 58th minute substitute in the defeat by Palace.

The South Korean is the only Spurs starter from the 2019 Champions League final still at the club.

Ben Davies, 32, was an unused sub in Madrid.

THE 2025 Europa League final is laced with compelling narratives.

Tottenham and Manchester United will compete for the continent's second-most prestigious trophy in Bilbao next Wednesday and the stakes are sky high.

Both teams have endured miserable domestic campaigns with Spurs currently 17th in the Premier League table and the Red Devils just one point better off in 16th.

The winners of the Europa League will salvage their season while the losers will be forced to reflect upon a disastrous year that may have significant consequences.

Then there's the Dream Team angle.

Despite their persistent league woes, both Spurs and Man United have provided plenty of points throughout the season with their European adventures being a major contributing factor.

Just two Gameweeks remain before the fat lady sings and with fixtures at a premium, most engaged managers will be looking to target the Europa League final as a source of precious points.

Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim's sides are two of just four teams set to pull double duty in Gameweek 36 and so there's every chance the events in Bilbao will shape Mini League standings worldwide.

GAMEWEEK 36 DOUBLE HEADERS

TOTTENHAM vs Aston Villa (a) & Man United (n)

MANCHESTER UNITED vs Chelsea (a) & Spurs (n)

CRYSTAL PALACE vs Man City (n) & Wolves (h)

MANCHESTER CITY vs Crystal Palace (n) & Bournemouth (h)

First and foremost, Bruno Fernandes (£7m) has to be considered a must-have asset at this moment in time.

The Portuguese playmaker has racked up 425 points this season via 19 goals and 19 assists.

Only Mohamed Salah (£6.8m) sits above Fernandes in the overall rankings but United's captain is in a league of his own among midfielders, a 106 points ahead of his nearest rival, Bryan Mbeumo (£4.6m).

There's a chance the 30-year-old will be rested at Stamford Bridge on Friday night but he should still be considered a top target for Gameweek 36 given he averages eight points-per-game in 2024/25.

Deciding upon another viable Man United asset is far from straightforward.

Alejandro Garnacho (£3.5m) ranks 11th among Dream Team midfielders with 269 points to his name but the young Argentine winger is unpredictable.

It may be that Noussair Mazraoui (£3m) is the man to accompany Fernandes for gaffers who think the Europa League final will go the way of the Northerners.

Betting on a clean sheet for either side is fraught with danger but the Moroccan defender has an ace up his sleeve in his immense tackling ability.

Mazraoui has made 166 tackles in all competitions this season, comfortable the highest tally among all players - only two other players have registered more than 120.

This defensive effort has allowed him to collect 226 points despite United's defensive frailties, enough to place him eighth in the rankings among players in his position.

In terms of Spurs options, Pedro Porro (£5.4m) deserves credit for his mammoth tally of 287 points as Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.4m) is the only defender who boasts a superior total after 35 Gameweeks.

The Spaniard has contributed four goals and TEN assists from right-back this term.

Furthermore, he has earned 51 bonus points, which makes him joint-leader in the metric alongside Youri Tielemans (£4.5m).

James Maddison (£4.4m) leads the way among his attack-minded team-mates with 272 points but the ex-Leicester midfielder has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

Frustratingly, Dejan Kulusevski (£3.9m) is flagged as a doubt for Gameweek 36 having hobbled off after just 18 minutes against Crystal Palace last time out.

The Sweden international provided plenty of points earlier in the campaign but injuries have tanked his viability in the last two months.

And so it appears Dominic Solanke (£4m) is the best attacking threat for gaffers keen on Spurs.

The 27 year-old target man scored important goals against Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt to help his side reach the final of the Europa League.

Solanke averages a goal involvement every 128.8 minutes this season.

Alternatively, Son Heung-min (£4.3m) is available again having returned against the Eagles last weekend but his minutes are not guaranteed by any means.

One way or the other, the Europa League final will have a bearing on the business end of the Dream Team season.