The New York Times

Ange Postecoglou, the man all 150,000 people in attendance around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and down the Tottenham High Road were waiting to hear from, was ushered up to the front of the podium to address his flock.

As he did two nights before at the immediate post-match celebrations at Hotel Carlton in Bilbao, Postecoglou took a moment to let the crowd settle before raising his hand. A lone fan shouted, “Go on, gaffer”, while others chanted his name to the tune of Seven Nation Army.

Every sentence was greeted with a cheer by the supporters. In crediting the players, including “the legend Son Heung-min” and Guglielmo Vicario — delivered in an exuberant Italian accent — he reiterated that everything they had achieved at San Mames Stadium was in service of the fans and the club because they “deserve it”.

If the first part of his short speech was off the cuff and impassioned, the way Postecoglou ended it suggests he had given more thought to how he’d close.

“I’ll leave you with this,” he said. “(In) all the best television series, season three is better than season two.”

“There’s your mic drop moment,” a fan nearby said, referencing Brennan Johnson’s comment on the pitch after the final whistle as Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday. His clear indication that he is still committed to the project received the most deafening roar of the day.

While it may have been the loudest, it was far from the first.

Four hours before the 17:30 scheduled start time for the parade, the festivities were already under way outside the stadium, which may have been the last time fans could get a signal on their mobile phones.

Fans travelling via the Victoria Line on London’s Underground network were advised not to do the typical matchday switch to the Overground to travel up to White Hart Lane station, such was the size of the crowd even hours before the parade was due to start. Tottenham High Road was heaving with supporters dressed in Tottenham colours. At The Bite Box, a small takeaway en route from Seven Sisters station to the stadium, staff stood outside with menus showing special combo deals to mark the event.

Across the road, a Tottenham-branded flag flew from a lamppost outside the High Cross Pub. A group of fans, who may or may not have spent most of their day inside, sang a slurred rendition of “Johnson Again, Ole Ole”. A mother and daughter, who were visiting the stadium for the first time, remarked on how you could see the stadium from more than a mile away. Like nearly everyone in view, they were dressed in club colours, helping to turn the area into a sea of white as more fans filtered in.

Over the 30-minute walk to the stadium, it became clear it was not just a celebration of the now but of everyone who has contributed along the way since Tottenham last lifted a major trophy in 2008. Harry Kane, who is among Tottenham’s greatest-ever players but fell short of his ambition to bring silverware to his corner of north London, was recognised as one of their own. Mauricio Pochettino, who guided Spurs to second place in the Premier League and the 2019 Champions League final, also got his moment.

Perhaps the most touching tribute of all was for Dele Alli, a player who tried as hard as anyone to bring glory back to White Hart Lane during his seven-year spell at the club. It was a day for everyone who Spurs hold in their hearts.

As the clock ticked closer towards 17:30, the picture on the mega-sized television screens that lined the streets locked in on the two open-top buses. Hoots went up for the usual suspects as they appeared on screen, but Spurs fans celebrated everyone.

Academy graduate Alfie Whiteman posted an Instagram story of him celebrating at Wembley as a child when Spurs won the League Cup in 2008, followed by an image of him holding the trophy and wearing the gold medal on the pitch in Bilbao. He is potentially the club’s fifth-choice goalkeeper and is out of contract at the end of the season, but the loud cheer as his face appeared on the screen reflected the importance of having relatable people — he is a DJ in his spare time and avidly logs arthouse films on Letterboxd — mixed in with the swarm of international stars.

Fans scaled poles and climbed on buildings and bus stops all around the stadium’s vicinity to put themselves in position to have the best view when the players came past. Next to the No 8 pub, situated just across the street from the stadium, fans stood atop a brick building outhouse. Across the street, lines of men, women and children climbed on top of the Murugan cash and carry and Brown Eagle restaurant, with some even managing to scale up to the roof of the homes just behind.

Fans with flare-stained T-shirts tried every route to get closer to the stadium, but the streets were gridlocked. They tracked the bus on the screens, but there was some agitation as it became more crowded and uncomfortable. If there were any fears the parade would be over too soon, the driver’s commitment to not pass walking pace ensured the party would exceed its proposed 60-90 minute duration.

However, when the bus did pass, the wait was more than worth it.

There they were. Micky van de Ven, whose goal-line overhead kick clearance had already made it onto the phone wallpaper of at least two fans at the parade. Dominic Solanke, whose tireless running at the point of the attack set the tone from the front. Postecoglou and assistant coaches Ryan Mason and Matt Wells, the latter of whom emulated his grandfather Cliff Jones, who won the league and FA Cup double with Spurs in 1961 and paraded through north London’s streets.

While the bus went back through the route and around to the stage, fans broke through the street barriers in a rush to get closer. Above the stage, Spurs players from the past stood on the balcony and interacted with the supporters. Brazilian midfielder Sandro, who made 81 league appearances for Tottenham between 2010 and 2014 and had earlier led a rendition of Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur on the stage with his acoustic guitar, danced along to Sweet Caroline. Even the usually stoic Ledley King bopped along to the Neil Diamond hit as he sported a wide grin and recorded the events on his phone.

As the players made their way onto the stage, one fan shook his head in disbelief. James Maddison followed Postecoglou, but the supporters’ songs drowned out his attempts to answer the interviewer’s questions. He soon got on board, leading a ‘Campeones Ole, Ole, Ole’ chant. Johnson, who turned 24 on Friday, was next in line to feel the supporters’ adulation.

His story is remarkable, from deactivating his social media accounts last September due to online abuse to scoring the winning goal in Bilbao. Postecoglou spoke to the players about making moments to adorn the walls at the stadium and training ground, and Johnson’s near-post flick in front of the Spurs supporters will now be immortalised forever. Like Tottenham’s previous European final goalscorers — Jimmy Greaves, Martin Chivers and Graham Roberts among them — Johnson, who captioned a picture of the parade with “I love Tottenham Hotspur” on Instagram, is written in club history.

As fans filtered away, swaying side to side to Angels by Robbie Williams, the camera zoomed in on Postecoglou. He was still on the stage, with staff members queuing up to take a picture with him.

Despite the Premier League season and his uncertain job status, Postecoglou was undoubtedly the star of the show. Perhaps the insecurity added to it, with fans relishing what could be their final opportunity to see him again as Spurs head coach.

Whether he is given that third season or not, the Tottenham family showed him, and players past and present, that those who bring joy to N17 are not easily forgotten.

(Top photo: Harry Murphy/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph was a magical night for everyone connected with the club, but perhaps for captain Son Heung-min more than anyone else.

A Premier League runner-up in 2017, a Champions League finalist in 2019, and narrowly beaten 1-0 by Manchester City in the 2021 Carabao Cup final, the South Korean had nothing tangible to show for his incredible decade of service to Spurs.

But on Wednesday night in Bilbao, that long wait finally ended. With a winners’ medal around his neck and the Europa League trophy held high, Son undoubtedly put all those demons of the past behind him.

On the latest episode of The View From The Lane, Danny Kelly and Jay Harris reflected on how the victory further cemented Son’s legendary status at Tottenham.

This partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available via the The View from the Lane feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Danny: We have to have a word about Son Heung-min. Because afterwards, there were some sweet interviews where he was talking about Harry Kane winning the Bundesliga, and he said, “They’re different trophies.” I think he was pointing out that one is not just the Bundesliga, it’s actually a European trophy. But he’s too nice to say that.

However, after all that he’s been through and, more importantly, after all that he’s done for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, it was great to see Son get his hands on the heaviest trophy in world football, wasn’t it Jay? To get the thing and lift it up was amazing, and that’s when the tears really started with me.

Jay: It was great to see. And being honest, it probably would have stung that he didn’t start the game. He’s the club captain, and as you said he’s contributed so much over the last 10 years. Yet there he was watching on from the sidelines, although he still played his part when he came onto the pitch.

It must be said that not just for Spurs, but for the Premier League as well, Son has been an absolute joy to watch over the past 10 years. And it would have been a real shame if he went down as a player who never tasted success, or who never won a trophy. So to have that moment undoubtedly secures his legacy in Tottenham’s history. Not that it wasn’t already secured, but it’s just gone up to another level now. He’s done something that Harry Kane didn’t do, Luka Modric didn’t do, and Gareth Bale didn’t do. I know Spurs haven’t won the Premier League, but I also think it secures him as a Premier League great if that makes sense.

Danny: It makes total sense, just look at his goals and assists. It’s an astonishing record.

Jay: It really is. And it was great to see him joking in those interviews after the game when it was said, ‘You must be a legend now’. And he just sort of said, ‘Oh, I don’t know about that.’ He’s always been a very smiley character, but his smiles in all of those post-match scenes, the interviews, the videos, and everything — he just looked absolutely buzzing. It can’t help but warm your heart when you see something like that.

Danny: Also that embrace he had with James Maddison where he was crying into Maddison’s hair and shirt really touched me, it was just incredible.

Jay: Exactly. He and Ben Davies have been through some tough times together, and they’re the only ones who are still there. They lost in 2019, and they’ve seen all their teammates leave for new challenges and go on to win things. But now they’ve done it too, it’s just an incredible moment for him. He’s had a difficult individual season, but that doesn’t matter now. No one will care about that anymore, all that matters is that he helped Spurs win a trophy for the first time in 17 years.

Danny: Well said, Jay. And as I’ve said many times, the age of five substitutes means it’s a 16-person game, even though he will be disappointed not to have started. I was on American radio previewing the game, and they seemed bewildered that he wasn’t starting because they like celebrities. And I said, “You haven’t seen him play all this season. And he’s not entirely fit either, but he’ll play his part.” Which he did, and it was just lovely to see him getting his hands on that trophy.

Football’s not about what you deserve, it’s about what you get. People don’t deserve anything because it’s a competition, it’s not an exhibition. But to see him get what I thought was his just deserts after a decade at the club was brilliant. And on top of everything else, he just works so hard. Apart from his brilliance over the years he works like a demon, so it was just great to see him get his hands on that trophy.

Remember, you can listen to full episodes of The View from the Lane for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

(Top Photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Ange Postecoglou stepped onto a small stage in a function room at Hotel Carlton in Bilbao, where Tottenham Hotspur hosted their post-Europa League final celebrations.

He waited momentarily for the crowd of players, staff, family and friends to settle before putting his hand up and saying, “I’m used to people listening when I talk,” jolting the group into silence.

“I made family a big theme for us as a group this year,” he said. “How important family is. These boys, I’m so proud of them. And the staff. They’ve been the best family I could ever be associated with, but more importantly, it’s how everyone in this room has helped these boys become champions.

“They truly deserve it. They’re outstanding people, not just outstanding players. I couldn’t be prouder to be their manager. I want everyone to enjoy tonight and what it means because you all, every single one of you, deserve it from the bottom of my heart. I’ve never been prouder to be a manager of a football club, manager of these players, and the people with them.”

Postecoglou’s ability to build a family unit in the face of constant turmoil this season was central to their success on the night. Dominic Solanke, even on his last legs, exemplified the collective buy-in, charging around the pitch in the dying minutes to protect their lead.

The Australian’s speech was not just an opportunity to reflect on the 1-0 win over Manchester United or ending the 17-year trophy drought, but to celebrate their persistence and dedication in a season that the injury crises or Premier League failures could have easily derailed.

En route to winning the Asian Cup in 2015 with Australia — the nation’s first major trophy — Postecoglou asked the players to gather around the jersey and reflect in front of their team-mates on what playing for their national team meant to them. A stirring speech before Australia’s narrow 3-2 defeat to Germany in the 2017 Confederations Cup often goes viral on social media, drawing comparisons to Al Pacino’s famous Inch by Inch scene in Any Given Sunday.

This time, he arranged a meeting with the squad and played a video of their loved ones wishing them good luck before the final. In typical fashion, it had a rousing effect on his players.

“The message (in the dressing room) was just to do our things, to play for us, for our fans and especially for our fans who were here to support us in the stands,” goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario told journalists in the post-match mixed zone. “It was very emotional and I think in the back of our minds, they played a big part of the game tonight.

“It was at the hotel. We had the preparation of the game as well as this brilliant video. My mum and my dad (spoke in my video). They were here celebrating with me on the pitch. They said just to fight for this badge, to fight for Tottenham Hotspur, and to make them happy.”

While Tottenham have often left injured players at home to continue their rehabilitation in the Europa League knockout rounds, a full complement travelled to Bilbao. The squad arrived together at San Mames in slim, blue suits and white t-shirts provided by luxury Italian fashion house Kiton, the club’s official formalwear partner since 2023.

But as the final whistle blew, there was a brief opportunity to celebrate on the pitch for the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and even Will Lankshear, who spent the second half of the season on loan at West Bromwich Albion. They had to ditch the suits and change into more familiar attire.

To collect a medal on the pitch, UEFA requires all players to dress in that team’s kit. The group bent the rules slightly, donning standard white Nike sports socks instead of the longer football-specific variations, while a cast on Kulusevski’s leg meant he could only wear the shirt.

Maddison later told British broadcaster TNT Sports he “didn’t want to do a John Terry when he went with the full kit and the shin pads”, referring to when the former Chelsea captain went onto the pitch to lift the Champions League trophy in 2012 after missing the final through suspension.

Brennan Johnson, who scored the only goal of the evening, was the first player to be interviewed on the pitch by TNT. Draped in a Welsh flag, Johnson, who deactivated his social media accounts last September due to the online abuse, spoke from the heart.

“This season hasn’t been good at all,” Johnson said. “Not one of us players right now cares about that. This is what it’s all about. This club hadn’t won a trophy for 17 years. It means so much. All of the fans get battered. We get battered for not winning a trophy, not winning anything.

“Ever since I came here, it has been, ‘Tottenham are a good team, but can never get it done’. We got it done.”

When asked whether he thinks Postecoglou should be Tottenham’s head coach into next season, he said, “If there’s ever a time for a mic drop, I think it’s now. I’ll be looking forward to his interview.” Postecoglou later conceded their league form was “terrible” and “unacceptable” but reiterated his desire to stay in north London.

As the Spurs players celebrated together in front of their supporters and family, with Micky van de Ven going into the stands and Richarlison banging a drum in the crowd, Archie Gray took a moment to console his opponents. After giving the United players a guard of honour on their way to pick up their runners-up medals, Postecoglou led Spurs onto the podium, passing UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin as well as Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and United minority co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The interaction between Levy and most players was short and respectful, but Maddison pulled Tottenham’s chairman in for a hug as he passed through. Postecoglou was the first person to step onto the podium and initially hung back before Pedro Porro and Vicario pushed him into the middle of the group. As captain, Son Heung-min went up last and lifted the trophy, a moment he believes cements his legend status at the club.

In the aftermath, Son pulled back his fringe to reveal bruising to his head, sustained while lifting the trophy. “I lift, somebody push me and my head hit the trophy,” Son told club media.

Several players, including Son, did not receive a medal on the pitch as UEFA underestimated the amount needed due to “an unexpected discrepancy in the player count, as more team members — including injured players — participated in the ceremony than initially anticipated”. That small group later received their medals in the dressing room, where the celebrations reached another level.

Yves Bissouma, who has reignited his career in recent weeks playing in a double pivot alongside Rodrigo Bentancur, went live on Instagram, showing the players eating pizza, dancing and shooting gold confetti cannons. Bissouma filmed Wilson Odobert, wrapped in a France flag, holding the trophy and dancing to Afro Trap Pt. 3 by Guinean-French rapper MHD, a song in which every line of the chorus ends with “Champions League”, the tournament Tottenham qualified for next season by winning Europe’s secondary competition. He was less enthusiastic when Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten was played by the dressing-room DJ.

While Oscar-winning film director and Spurs fan Bong Joon Ho celebrated the win by lifting a bottle of whisky on a live stream, beer, champagne — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic — and other drinks were passed around the dressing room. Djed Spence re-created his picture from Nottingham Forest’s play-off final triumph in 2022, lying beside the trophy and biting a cigar.

The group stayed in the stadium for hours after kick-off, with players walking between the dressing room and the pitch and taking group and individual pictures with the trophy. Tottenham posted a video of several players lined up on their social channels while the Champions League anthem played in the background. Mikey Moore lifted his hands to the sky, Maddison did the sign of the cross, while Gray licked his lips, mimicking the video of Brazilian icon Ronaldinho doing the same thing while playing for Milan.

On their way back to the hotel, a topless Bissouma wheeled a speaker onto the coach, with Pape Matar Sarr following close behind. On the journey, the Mali international danced with Spence, Richarlison, Sarr and Odobert to Premier Gaou, a song by Francis Mercier and Magic System. Son sat at the front of the coach as it drove through the city, interacting with Spurs fans who cheered the team through.

Postecoglou arrived before the players and grinned from ear to ear as he interacted with family and friends. The players entered the conference room shortly after 2am, with the DJ welcoming them with Queen’s We Are The Champions.

Perhaps inspired by Freddie Mercury, Levy later stepped onto the stage and shouted, “We’re champions”, before addressing the crowd with a short speech: “Listen, this has been a very long time coming, 1984 was the last time we won a European cup.

“Tonight, we made history, and I want to thank Ange and all the coaching staff, all the players, you guys have gone down in history. Thank you very much. This is a magnificent achievement for the club that hopefully is going to get us on the road where we absolutely deserve to be, which is at the very top.”

The celebrations carried on late into the night, with Maddison getting onto the stage on several occasions to sing with various people, including comedian Michael McIntyre. Videos have since circulated on the club’s social media of a group, led by Maddison, singing Wonderwall.

Cristian Romero, who mumbled his way through the Oasis hit, made no mistake with his rendition of Campeones, Ole, Ole, Ole, a song he has sung several times in an Argentina shirt but never before at club level. Son jumped up and down to Nice one, Sonny, a reworked version of the song dedicated to former Spurs full-back Cyril Knowles, who was part of the UEFA Cup-winning side in 1972.

The party had the distinct Postecoglou “family” flavour, with rotational players like Moore and Sergio Reguilon still front and centre in the celebrations. The Spaniard even held a banner alongside Maddison with a picture of the manager holding the Europa League trophy with the now iconic, “I always win things in my second year” quote over it.

With a gold medal finally wrapped around his neck, Son and Spurs returned to England on Thursday afternoon with the trophy.

Friday’s parade, starting in Edmonton Green at 5.30pm BST (12.30pm ET) and finishing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, will ensure the party lasts at least another day.

But memories of May 21, and the night that followed it, will live with that group forever.

(Top photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

It was just one match. A very bad match, admittedly, settled by a very poor goal, but it was still just one game decided by one moment.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Brennan Johnson’s attempt at scoring went backwards, hit Luke Shaw and rolled apologetically over a white line. And with that, the immediate fates of Ange Postecoglou and/or Ruben Amorim are immediately brighter or darker. One might keep his job after all, while the other has half-volunteered to leave his.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be that way. Perhaps we should forensically study their respective bodies or work and their ‘processes’, trusted or otherwise, before making a full and fair assessment.

But football doesn’t work like that. Trophies matter, finals matter. They create heroes and villains, winners and losers and can define careers. And the reputations of Postecoglou and Amorim have altered after Wednesday night.

It happens. Gareth Southgate could have walked into most jobs in English football as a two-time European champion, for example. Instead, England lost two finals and opinion on him and his England legacy remains inconclusive, fairly or unfairly.

Conversely, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag helped to earn himself five more months at Old Trafford by winning the FA Cup last year. Beating Manchester City in a one-off match was a factor in Ten Hag being given a contract extension and United spending £200million ($268m) on players the Dutchman wanted.

Had United been comfortably beaten by City at Wembley — say by a 3-0 scoreline — would Ten Hag have stayed and been given a war chest? It feels unlikely.

Up until fairly recently, it hadn’t felt like Amorim’s position was in any danger; yes, United’s league form was awful, but the Europa League was ticking along nicely and the consensus, of course, was that he needed at least one big transfer window to shape the squad in his image (or, more pertinently in this case, his formation) after taking over from… Ten Hag.

And then, well, the losing didn’t stop. And United started being historically bad. And things like this happened.

Most of all, though, Amorim has started talking himself down. This is unusual in manager PR parlance, but Amorim has twice offered to leave if it is felt he’s no longer the man for the job.

“Let’s see (about my future),” he said on Wednesday night. “I am always open. 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.”

Reverse psychology? Pure transparency? The human equivalent of a turkey voting for Christmas?

Not in Amorim’s favour, if he even wants the job anymore, is his failure to enlist any kind of consistently coherent, stylish attacking football, let alone winning football. United’s best moments in the league have come away at Manchester City and Liverpool and at Arsenal in the FA Cup when they Spursed their way to victory, but the limp manner they rather embarrassingly took to Wednesday night’s task does not reflect well.

Given all the ball and most of the play, United’s sideways, backwards approach comprised a succession of hopeful crosses and long balls and culminated with Harry Maguire up front. Again. It was painful to watch.

He needs time to implement change but what he wants to do — i.e. reinvent United’s style and transform the culture of a dressing room that looks devoid of leadership and strong-willed personalities — will take money. Lots of it. And this is a club that has splashed a net spend of almost £600m in the past five years and recently sacked hundreds of employees.

There is a pattern at United, one of decay, decline and repeated underperformance that feels less and less like it is particularly the fault of its head coaches.

Sacking Amorim, or accepting his resignation, feels more like the start of the next merry-go-round than the solution to United’s many, many deeply embedded issues surrounding culture and recruitment.

With the Premier League mid-table teams getting stronger — and with United having budgeted for Europa League football at least in the coming years — this summer feels pivotal for many reasons.

Conversely, Postecoglou’s reputation has somehow emerged from a soul-crushing few months significantly enhanced.

With increasingly fraught press conferences and interviews, immense pressure from the stands, and cross words with fans, the Australian has looked utterly broken.

And yet, his delivery of a trophy at the club that couldn’t win trophies is significant. Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino, even Andre Villas-Boas and Nuno Espirito Santo, were all trophy winners elsewhere in their careers — but not at Spurs.

To finish fifth in year one, overcoming the considerable loss of Harry Kane, was a great start. To end a 17-year trophy drought in year two is even more impressive.

Can you sack someone who has just given the fans and the club what they craved?

“Whatever happens, happens,” Postecoglou told TNT Sports. “We’re still building this team. My thought process is trying to build a team that can be successful for four, five, six years. But I’m the manager of the football club, that decision is not in my hands.

“I do (want to stay). I don’t feel like I’ve completed the job yet, we’re still building. But the moment I accepted the role, I had one thing in my head and that was to win something. We’ve done that now and now we can build on it.”

Chairman Daniel Levy doesn’t strike a tone as a sentimental type of guy. But, given his levels of unpopularity with the Spurs fanbase, would he dare to go against what seems to be the goodwill of most of their supporters, or many of the players, to sack Postecoglou?

It’s hard to argue, with those achievements of fifth and a trophy in two years, with him having earned another season.

He has arguably been left short with Spurs’ recruitment. It was clear that Spurs, with all their injury issues last season, would need a deeper squad, not least in defence, with them playing in Europe this season. That wasn’t forthcoming.

Postecoglou has repeatedly stated the need for culture change at the club and now is his chance to enact it, with the trophy-based weight finally off their shoulders.

And yet, the manner in which Spurs finally won something does raise question marks.

It wouldn’t if Postecoglou hadn’t repeatedly asserted throughout his reign that he was hired to play a certain brand of football and would never, ever sacrifice his principles.

Spurs had 27 per cent possession and three shots at goal. They wasted time and sh**housed their way to victory. This was the opposite of ‘Ange-ball’.

Does that matter when deciding his future? Well, it’s difficult to know whether to chastise him for abandoning his beliefs, or praise him for ditching the stubborn streak and showing adaptability.

There was something to admire, though, about his unyielding approach, attacking Manchester City at the Etihad, or refusing to substitute players when slipping to defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion (from being 2-0 up) because they needed to suffer and learn. Here was a man with steadfast beliefs about how the game should be played. Bravo.

And yet here they were, going all Chelsea 2012 to win a trophy at any cost. It was what he was hired to do, and yet it also wasn’t.

Postecoglou also admitted after the final that he focused fully on the Europa League from January, confirming what we had already seen for ourselves.

That doesn’t bode well for next season, combining at least eight Champions League matches with three domestic competitions, coupled with the inevitable injuries that ‘Ange-ball’, if it’s revived, would bring.

So there are no easy answers to these two posers. Postecoglou has probably earned his shot, Alan Partridge-style, at another series season, but were he to be sacked, you could see the logic.

Amorim should probably stay, but when a manager starts talking himself out of a job amid the worst season in the club’s living memory, he can’t be safe either.

What can be said without doubt is that the culture at both clubs and the decision-making above Amorim and Postecoglou has been questionable. Without the decision makers also changing, it’s hard not to envisage more of the same next season, whoever is in the dugout.

(Top photo: Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images)

There will be many memories of Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph, the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

One of them will be the change in tactical approach during the knockout stages, which saw Spurs become a more ruthless and efficient team.

“I have always felt that knockout football is different from your league football,” head coach Ange Postecoglou told UK broadcaster TNT Sports after his side beat Manchester United 1-0 in Wednesday’s final. “When you are in that situation, it comes down to really good organisation, having a clear game plan and then moments, and if you can minimise the moments the opposition have by having a really strong foundation.”

The biggest “moment” of last night’s match fell Tottenham’s way, when Brennan Johnson put them in the lead towards the end of the first half, but it was the “good organisation” and “clear game plan” provided by Postecoglou and his staff that guided them to victory.

Spurs started the match in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Rodrigo Bentancur partnering Yves Bissouma in midfield behind Pape Matar Sarr, and Richarlison getting the nod over Son Heung-min to start on the left flank.

Apart from Johnson’s goal, Tottenham didn’t create much, but their organisation without the ball and physicality in midfield limited their opponents too during the first half.

Out of possession, Spurs smartly pressed United towards the wide areas, where they could minimise the spaces.

When Dominic Solanke forced Harry Maguire to try to build the attack towards the left side, Sarr was marking Casemiro in the middle of the pitch as Johnson moved up towards Luke Shaw and Tottenham’s right-back, Pedro Porro, pressed Patrick Dorgu.

The dynamic of Spurs’ pressing on the right side meant that Mason Mount, United’s left-sided attacking midfielder, could be free, but Bentancur dropped to mark him.

It was a similar situation when they defended by the halfway line. When Solanke’s press forced Maguire to go to the left, Johnson and Porro immediately pressed Shaw and Dorgu, while Sarr and Bentancur were marking Casemiro and Mount.

Richarlison’s narrow position provided an additional safety net in case United’s left side wanted to find Bruno Fernandes between the lines, because Bissouma’s role in this situation…

… was to provide additional zonal cover to Cristian Romero and Bentancur.

In this example, Tottenham’s defensive organisation forces Shaw to play the ball into the space behind Porro…

… but Bentancur and Romero are in position to defend that area, and Bissouma is also dropping to support.

In another example, Solanke’s angle of pressure forces United to build down their left side and Spurs adjust their positions to limit that.

Solanke and Sarr mark Maguire and Casemiro centrally, Johnson and Porro immediately press Shaw and Dorgu as Bentancur covers Mount, Richarlison is in a narrow position to keep an eye on Fernandes and Bissouma is ready to support the right side.

Without any forward passing option, Shaw is forced to go back to goalkeeper Andre Onana. United then tried building up down the other side.

Tottenham’s pressing approach was different down their left (the United right) because Sarr continued marking Casemiro, leaving Bissouma to move up towards Fernandes. Meanwhile, Richarlison and Destiny Udogie mirrored Johnson and Porro’s roles in pressing United’s wide centre-back Leny Yoro and right wing-back Noussair Mazraoui.

However, as Bissouma was the one pressing Fernandes, it was Micky van de Ven’s job to defend Amad (out of shot in the first image below).

When Spurs defended deeper on that side of the pitch, the only change of role was for Sarr — the Senegal midfielder dropped deeper to support Bissouma against Fernandes.

Here, infield pressure from Sarr, Johnson and Solanke forces United to attack down the Tottenham left…

… and Bissouma moves towards Fernandes while Van de Ven and Udogie are tracking Amad and Mazraoui.

When Yoro plays the ball to Mazraoui, Bissouma drops deeper to defend Spurs’ left side in a zonal capacity, while Sarr picks up Fernandes and Udogie presses Mazraoui.

The Morocco international’s lack of options then forces United to reset the attack.

They circulated the ball towards their left side, triggering the other part of Postecoglou’s defensive organisation, which locked them in a build-up loop, before Spurs won a throw-in from Shaw’s long ball.

When Tottenham were in a winning game state, they protected that lead in a deeper block.

Despite the difference in the approach between the left and right sides, one of Bissouma and Bentancur defended the half-space to neutralise United’s wide combinations, while the other maintained a more central position.

The introductions of Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee from the bench altered United’s attack. Zirkzee could drop from centre-forward and link the play, while Garnacho offered a better one-versus-one threat down their left wing and an option to switch positions with wing-back Dorgu.

Ruben Amorim’s double substitution improved United but Postecoglou adjusted seven minutes later, replacing Johnson with centre-back Kevin Danso and moving to a 5-4-1 with Sarr and Son, on for Richarlison, as the wide players in midfield.

Sarr and Son had important roles to play towards the end of the match because their defensive work supporting the wing-backs — especially with Shaw pushing forward as United chased an equaliser — allowed Bissouma and Bentancur to concentrate on dealing with the central space.

Tottenham still needed an incredible goal-line clearance from Van de Ven and a good late save by Guglielmo Vicario to maintain their clean sheet, but the side’s overall defensive organisation minimised those moments as much as possible.

“I felt having Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Porro, (and) Vicario in goal — we haven’t had that luxury a lot (this season because of injuries) — and with Bissouma and Bentancur, we were going to be really hard to break down,” Postecoglou told TNT Sports after the match.

“I always felt comfortable that if we got ahead, we could negate most of what Man United were going to throw at us.”

Tottenham’s plan to keep United out didn’t need to be pretty, because what eventually mattered was its effectiveness, and it delivered their fourth European trophy.

Tottenham Hotspur won the 2025 Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday night, defeating Manchester United 1-0. It’s a result that not only rescues Spurs’ season but also grants them entry into next season’s Champions League.

Tottenham and United are 17th and 16th respectively in the Premier League, and for most of the first half they played like it, both sides displaying a painful lack of quality. Even the first goal, when it came, was befitting of a scrappy game — Brennan Johnson was credited with it, even though it span into the net via Luke Shaw’s arm.

There was not a significant increase in quality after the break, although United ratcheted up the intensity as they chased the game. But Spurs, helped by an incredible goalline clearance from Micky van de Ven and a late, late save from Guglielmo Vicario, held firm to end their 17-year wait for a major honour.

Mark Critchley, Jay Harris, Mark Carey, Carl Anka and Chris Weatherspoon analyse the game.

What does this result mean for Spurs and Postecoglou?

Tottenham’s trophy drought is finally over.

Go ahead and mock them for their form in the league this season or the lack of quality in the final, but none of the supporters will care. Ange Postecoglou, in what is probably his penultimate game in charge, has held true to his promise that he “always” wins a trophy in his second season. On his 100th game as head coach, he secured his place in their history books. If he does depart in the coming weeks, the Australian will take comfort from the fact he will always hold a place in the hearts of the fanbase.

This squad will go down as legends. They have accomplished what Gareth Bale, Harry Kane and Luka Modric could not. Son, who has spent a decade with the club, might now eclipse Kane as the best player in Spurs’ modern history. Kane left to win a trophy, Son stayed to prove the doubters wrong. Micky van de Ven, who was a fan favourite from the first moment he joined Spurs from Wolfsburg in July 2023, can look forward to having a statue outside the stadium one day. It will be a challenge for the sculptor to capture the glory of his ridiculous goal-line clearance but nothing else will do.

Spurs will play in the Champions League next season, even though they are 17th in the top flight with one game remaining. This young group, which has already endured so many challenges, will tell themselves that this is only the beginning. Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, the future of their midfield, are both 19 while academy graduate Mikey Moore is two years younger.

This could be a transformative moment for the club and this squad. No longer burdened by their lack of success. This is their first trophy in 17 years and their first European title since 1984. The trophy parade on Friday will be wild. It has been an emotional season.

Yes, there have been some awful moments in 2024-25, but Tottenham achieved something special right at the end.

Jay Harris

What does this result mean for United and Amorim?

Everyone knew the stakes. To the victor, the spoils. To the loser, the most desperate, dismal season in their modern history.

And so what now for United, after what has to go down as their worst campaign in more than a century, since relegation from the old First Division in 1974?

Amorim did not want to take this job midway through the season and almost every other game under his charge has shown he has good instincts. This squad is plainly not suited to his system. But equally, his system is yet to demonstrate it can get results.

Amorim has not had to shoulder the majority of the blame for United’s performances, understandably so. There are still enough caveats in his favour, still a sense that he cannot be fairly judged in this job until he has his players, until he’s working on his terms. United insisted before this final that Amorim would stay as their head coach whatever the result.

But the silver lining of more time on the training ground to teach his philosophy is scant silver lining compared to a first season in more than a decade without European football.

And even Amorim himself has admitted of late that defeat in this final would mean United “have to be perfect” next season, starting from the very first kick. From now on, there is no more room for error.

Mark Critchley

A scrappy but priceless goal

The first half was very low on quality so nobody was surprised when Spurs took the lead in the 42nd minute with one of the scrappiest goals you will ever witness in a major final.

Richarlison was on the left wing and he played a clever reverse pass into space for Rodrigo Bentancur who then found Pape Matar Sarr. The Senegal international bent a cross into the box which Brennan Johnson attacked. The ball bounced off Luke Shaw, Johnson took a wild swipe at it in mid-air and somehow it snuck in between Andre Onana’s right arm and the post and then over the line.

Whether Johnson actually scored or not is irrelevant. He is exceptional at attacking the six-yard box and his trademark finish is sweeping the ball into the net with a first-time finish from around 10 yards. He had already been a menace to Shaw on a couple of occasions in the first half, closing him down to win the ball high up the pitch, and he was too quick for him again.

Johnson slid on his knees and then fell over right in front of the Spurs supporters before he was mobbed by his team-mates. It was a fantastic moment for the Wales international, who temporarily deactivated his social media accounts in September after receiving abuse.

Johnson, who turns 24 on Friday, scored a couple of days later in a cup tie against Coventry City and barely celebrated, so it was beautiful to see him enjoy his impact and for the fans and his team-mates to shower him with love.

Jay Harris

Did Amorim get his team selection wrong?

The 71st minute saw Amorim roll his dice. Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho replacing Hojlund and Mount. The changes added zip to a stop-start attack. A minute after the swap, Zirkzee dropped deep to play provider, rolling a ball to Mazraoui, who provided a cross that Fernandes would steer wide.

Two minutes after that, Garnacho eked out some space in his favoured area on the left before burning past Pedro Porro. He went for his favoured attacking effort, cutting inside and shooting low toward the far post. Vicario got a hand to the shot and palmed it wide.

This was United going for it. Garnacho running at Spurs at full pelt, hoping to push them back. Zirkzee was to serve as an attacking hook for teammates to hang off.

This team huffed, and puffed, but could not blow Spurs’ house down. Postecoglou made second-half changes of his own, replacing Richarlison with Son, and Johnson for Danso. It bolstered his team in both penalty boxes. A change to a 5-4-1 made the brick wall more impenetrable than ever.

Another swap from Amorim, bringing on Diogo Dalot for Mazraoui, failed to change the game’s complexion. Harry Maguire was deployed as an emergency striker one more time, and Kobbie Mainoo was introduced for Patrick Dorgu.

The head coach – dressed in a suit jacket rather than his usual touchline attire – could be seen beckoning his players forwards in the final five minutes. His players were willing, but not quite able. His substitutions could not solve the underlying problem: a United squad that will go down as one of the worst in the club’s modern history.

Carl Anka

A trophy-winning clearance?

Cup finals are rarely filled with a glut of action.

Given the high stakes of a trophy on the line, you will often see a cagey affair with both sides in must-not-lose mode as their default setting. The crucial moments in both boxes is invariably what swings things, and Wednesday’s balmy evening at San Mames was no different.

A teasing first-half cross from Pape Matar Sarr was one of the few attacking moments of quality from Tottenham Hotspur, with Brennan Johnson and Luke Shaw’s tangle ending with the ball trickling into the net for a scrappy goal that was reflective of the standard of the game.

At the other end of the pitch, a second-half mistake from Guglielmo Vicario saw the Italian goalkeeper fumble the ball towards the head of Rasmus Hojlund, who looped a headed shot towards goal, only for his effort to be swatted away by Van de Ven, who made an incredible, acrobatic goalline clearance with his right foot with the ball at chest height.

In a game of low quality, such isolated moments are crucial, and it was a defensive action that proved to be pivotal. In truth, Spurs were well organised and disciplined defensively — and while their attack was still rather blunt at one end, they won the battle in both boxes to come out victorious.

Mark Carey

A final to forget for Bruno Fernandes

First, there was a searching ball over the top for Amad that was nodded away by Van de Ven, then a poorly judged square pass to Casemiro that was easily intercepted by Pape Mate Sarr.

There was still plenty of time for United to organise themselves against Tottenham’s break for the decisive — Bruno Fernandes was far from solely at fault — but his part in it summed up a night when everything United’s captain tried failed to come off.

That’s the player Fernandes is. He will take risks, like that first attempted ball over the top to Amad. He will look to play the percentages for the benefit of his team-mates. It is, on the whole, hugely beneficial.

But on a single, isolated occasion like a season-defining European final, those percentages can turn against you. Especially when the opposition shut him down as effectively as Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur did in the middle of the park.

The Portuguese averages around 50 completed passes a game. He managed just 11 during the first half. Fernandes at least had more efforts than any other United player, but only his diving header midway through the second half particularly troubled Tottenham’s defence.

Fernandes has carried this United side throughout this Europa League campaign, throughout the season, but he could not even he could carry them over the finish line.

Mark Critchley

What was this worth to Spurs? And what have United missed out on?

The real financial prize will come next season though. As an example, United earned £53.8million via European matches during their last Champions League year, a season when they finished bottom of their group with one win in the six games – and one which came before UEFA introduced an even more lucrative new format.

In terms of estimating next year’s earnings from a Champions League spot, The Athletic estimate Spurs’ minimum earnings to be £60m, even if they were to lose every game. United, on the other hand, have missed out on a minimum of £77m across UEFA prize money, takings from at least four extra home games and in addition now face a £10m haircut to their kit supplier deal with Adidas for failing to reach Europe’s elite competition.

Chris Weatherspoon

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What did Ruben Amorim say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What next for Spurs?

Sunday, May 25: Brighton (H), Premier League, 4pm UK, 11am ET

What next for United?

Sunday, May 25: Aston Villa (H), Premier League, 4pm UK, 11am ET

(Header photo: Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are in Bilbao for today’s 2025 Europa League final.

The two Premier League clubs have underperformed domestically this season — but victory today would not only bring a shiny trophy, but also lead to a place in next season's Champions League.

United have won the Europa League before once, in 2017, while Tottenham won it twice — when it was named the UEFA Cup — in 1972 and 1984.

Kick-off time: 8pm BST, 3pm ET

How to watch: TNT Sports, Discovery+ (UK), CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ (U.S.)

Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

Team news: Maddison and Kulusevski injured; Yoro and Dalot fit

It has been a dreadful season for both of the managers in the dugouts at San Mames this evening.

Ruben Amorim inherited a mess left by Erik ten Hag and the string of managers before him while it has just got progressively worse for Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou.

But as we saw with Ten Hag last season, a late trophy was enough to rescue his job — not that it ended very well a few months later!

So could that be the same for Amorim and Postecoglou today?

I spent this morning thinking about which past Tottenham player I would parachute into this team if I had that power.

I’m limiting it only to players who I’ve seen play in person. Who would give this side what it needs to make me feel more confident? Luka Modric’s passing would be a virtue. Michael Carrick, Rafael van der Vaart, and Moussa Dembele would all solve issues.

I’m picking Paul Gascoigne, though. Could carry, could create, and could pose problems that I don’t think this Manchester United team are equipped to solve.

I've seen this game billed as one that will define both of these teams' fortunes for the next few years. Clearly there's a lot at stake but I remember similarly apocalyptic things being said about the last time Spurs had what was effectively a Champions League playoff — against Arsenal in 2022 (I know tonight is not about that for Spurs fans, but it is what people are talking about when they refer to how much is at stake in a wider sense).

On that occasion, Spurs won the game and the Champions League prize and it did absolutely nothing for their fortunes, while the team they defeated, who had supposedly been subjected to Europa purgatory for evermore, then had their best season in years.

Maybe this is just a way of trying to ease some nerves ahead of tonight, but I think it's perfectly possible one of these teams loses tonight and has a good season next year, and vice versa.

That said, what really matters for Spurs fans tonight is winning a trophy, not the wider context. And sorry there's no way of soothing any nerves there — it promises to be an excruciatingly tense game.

Tottenham will definitely need to spend in the summer to fill out their squad if they qualify for the Champions League. A lot of the injury issues they have suffered can be traced back to the lack of rotation at the beginning of the season. Postecoglou clearly felt like he did not have enough quality options to make regular changes to keep players fresh.

There are some talented players within the squad who either have Champions League experience or should seamlessly adapt to playing at a higher level including Van de Ven, Romero, Solanke and Maddison. Difficult decisions will need to be made about the long-term futures of other players including Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur who both only have a year left on their contracts.

Should they stay or will Spurs seek an upgrade to help them thrive in the Champions League?

They have a lot of exciting players under the age of 23, including Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall and Mathys Tel, but expecting them to perform every week in Europe’s elite competition might be too much.

They have needed help this season and it is important Spurs give it to them in the future.

United can expect to earn around £80m from winning this final even if they crash out of next season's Champions League at the first hurdle, with even more in performance-related bonuses on offer depending on how far they progress.

When you consider that — as Sir Jim Ratcliffe revealed — they will write a cheque for £89m this summer to pay for players they've already signed, that is vital revenue that help free up funds for the squad rebuild Amorim still requires.

United have spent like a Champions League club but on a Europa League budget for years now, hence why Ratcliffe has believed it necessary to cut costs across the board, resulting in up to 450 job losses.

Returning to European football's top table would at least help stem the flow of money pouring out of Old Trafford, with the hope that is spent more wisely moving forward.

Today's victor will take home the shiny trophy and will also secure a place in next season's Champions League.

For fans, the memories of another famous European night are what matters most. For the club's accountants, the promise of PSR wiggle room that comes with elite European football is the stand-out reward.

Manchester United's finances are better documented than those of any other sports team in the world, so I think everyone knows by now just how desperately they need that Champions League money.

Tottenham's frugal nature on the transfer front means they don't need that cash injection, but boy would it help!

With his blistering pace and razor-sharp finishing, Son has been a devastating force in Tottenham’s attack since arriving for £22million ($29.3m) from Bayer Leverkusen in August 2015. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp listed missing out on Son as “one of the biggest mistakes in my life”.

But Son has not been at his electrifying best this season. He has scored just seven league goals and is on course for his first single-digit tally since his debut season.

The way Postecoglou has used Son helps explain his dip in form. Last season, playing him as an out-and-out centre-forward reignited his goalscoring touch after a turbulent 2022-23 campaign, when Tottenham finished eighth and rattled through three managers in two months following Antonio Conte’s departure in March.

But this season, Son has been moved back to the left of the attack following the arrival of £65m striker Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth. So Son’s declining potency might go beyond tactics.

Read more below

Injuries have been a recurring theme for Tottenham this season, so it is no surprise to see that a string of very badly timed problems have come up in the build-up to today's Europa League final.

Ange Postecoglou will be without arguably his first-choice midfield as Lucas Bergvall, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are all unavailable. Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin are also injured so will not feature today.

The good news for them is that Son Heung-min started for the first time in over a month in Friday night's defeat to Aston Villa.

Hello…from Gatwick airport!

I am heading to Lisbon. The final is in Lisbon right? It’s Bilbao? Oh!

Well Ruben Amorim grew up in Lisbon so maybe I’ll find some of his family and friends who are watching the final too.

Wrong, again Charlotte!

It appears Amorim’s faithful army are all descending onto Bilbao to show their support. Some friends and former team-mates have grouped together on a road trip, making the nine-hour journey by car while others are having lunch with Amorim’s family in Bilbao, a rare chance to meet up. One joked they should send their ticket invoice to Amorim after the United boss paid for the club’s staff members to attend the final.

I'm hoping to track down some Sporting fans who have stayed faithful to their former head coach but let's see how that one goes. After all, they won the league with Rui Borges on Sunday. Amorim...is he dead to them?

Diogo Dalot had a message for the Manchester United supporters when he spoke to BBC Radio Manchester on Friday.

💬 “We will do whatever we can to find that win and to bring you that trophy because you deserve it. More than anything, I think you deserve the best because you have been suffering a lot throughout this season with us.

“I know that winning this competition is important, so I'm sure everybody in the dressing room and all of the staff know that we carry that weight with us.

“Together I think we are much stronger than people think.”

Zirkzee, Yoro and Dalot's returns are a huge boost to Amorim, meaning that only De Ligt is now the only doubt alongside long-term absentee Lisandro Martinez.

Zirkzee's return is the biggest surprise. The 23-year-old's hamstring injury had threatened to rule him out for the rest of the season but he revealed last week — on Alphonso Davies' Twitch stream no less — that a return for the final was 'difficult, but not impossible'.

Whether he is ready for minutes is a different question, though.

Dalot was hopeful of returning in time from a calf injury when speaking at United's pre-final media day last week, while Yoro's potential availability is a relief after coming off in worrying circumstances in the recent defeat to West Ham United.

They weren't the only new additions at open training — of sorts. Alejandro Garnacho has a new peroxide blonde haircut for the big occasion.

There were timely returns to training yesterday for Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee as it had been tough-and-go as to whether the trio would be fit for today's final.

That said, it is unclear how much of the game they will be to play while Matthijs de Ligt is still injured and will not feature.

He joins Lisandro Martinez in watching from the stands or from the television.

The other big boost in the last few weeks has been the return of Amad who will surely start today if he is fully fit.

The prospect of facing Athletic Club in the semi-final led many to believe that United had run out of road in the Europa League. And the Spaniards started strongly in front of their own fans in the first leg at San Mames, the site of tomorrow's final.

But they were soon behind as Casemiro headed in from close range to give the visitors the lead. It was a lead they would add to before half-time after Daniel Vivian was sent off for pulling Rasmus Hojlund down in the penalty area.

Bruno Fernandes converted from 12 yards and then scored again on the stroke of the break, giving United a 3-0 lead to take back to Old Trafford.

There was brief panic in that second leg when Mikel Jauregizar gave the visitors the lead but the hosts rallied and ultimately ran out big winners.

Goals from Mason Mount (2), Casemiro and Hojlund made it 4-1 on the night and 7-1 on aggregate.

Athletic Club 0-3 Manchester United (Casemiro, Fernandes x2)

Manchester United 4-1 Athletic Club (Mount x2, Casemiro, Mount)

There's leaving it late — and then there's United's quarter-final second-leg win over Lyon.

Before that, they had drawn 2-2 in France with a couple of late goals from Rayan Cherki and Joshua Zirkzee before the bonkers game at Old Trafford.

There, United started strongly thanks to an early goal from Manuel Ugarte, and they doubled their advantage through Diogo Dalot just before half-time.

They looked to be cruising... but two goals in seven minutes from Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico brought the visitors level.

In extra time, Rayan Cherki gave the visitors — who were down to 10 men — the lead before an Alexandre Lacazette penalty put United on the brink of an embarrassing exit.

But Bruno Fernandes scored a spot kick, Kobbie Mainoo equalised off the bench, and auxiliary striker Harry Maguire headed home just seconds later to seal a hugely dramatic stoppage-time victory.

Lyon 2-2 Manchester United (Yoro, Zirkzee)

Manchester United 5-4 (AET) Lyon (Ugarte, Dalot, Fernandes, Mainoo, Maguire)

There are no more unnecessary distractions.

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Friday evening means they have played their last game before the Europa League final against Manchester United on Wednesday evening.

Ange Postecoglou hinted in his pre-match press conference that he would rest key players, but it was a more radical line-up than anybody expected. Sergio Reguilon made his first start in the Premier League for Spurs since April 2022, while 17-year-old winger Mikey Moore featured on the right wing.

Club-record signing Dominic Solanke came off the bench in the second half, along with Richarlison, Brennan Johnson, Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma, but defenders Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie were left out of the squad.

There are a couple of key decisions Postecoglou needs to make before they face United. With James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski all ruled out through injury, who should start in midfield?

Postecoglou experimented with Wilson Odobert in a central attacking midfield role against Villa, but did he do enough to earn a place in the starting XI in Bilbao? Is Son Heung-min sharp enough to start on the left wing and make a decisive impact?

Here, The Athletic suggests who should start against United on Wednesday evening.

Follow live coverage of the Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United

Goalkeeper — Guglielmo Vicario

This is an easy choice. Antonin Kinsky has an impressive passing range, but Guglielmo Vicario’s leadership will be crucial. The Italy international can look shaky at times from corners and with the ball at his feet, but his shot-stopping is superb.

Right-back — Pedro Porro

Pedro Porro has somehow avoided injury this season while nearly all of the rest of the squad have suffered with different issues. With Maddison, Bergvall and Kulusevski unavailable, Spurs are desperately lacking in creativity. Porro’s excellent vision and ability to whip crosses into the box will be crucial. Postecoglou did not shoot down the suggestion in his pre-match press conference that Porro could play in central midfield, but it would be an extremely risky gamble.

Right-sided centre-back — Cristian Romero

Cristian Romero has made a few high-profile errors this season, including losing Gabriel from a corner for Arsenal’s winner in September’s north London derby, but his aggressiveness and line-breaking passes are integral to Postecoglou’s style of play.

The Argentina international effortlessly slips passes in between opposition players to quickly progress the ball and unsettles strikers by pursuing them across the pitch.

Kevin Danso was arguably Tottenham’s best player against Villa, making multiple blocks and tackles, and the 26-year-old might be a useful option off the bench if Spurs want to defend a lead, which is what happened in the second leg of their quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt, but Romero will certainly start.

Left-sided centre-back — Micky van de Ven

There is an argument to be made that Van de Ven is the most important player to Postecoglou’s philosophy. His extreme speed is vital to the high defensive line and eliminating dangerous counter-attacks. He ranks highly among centre-backs in the Premier League for ball recoveries, with 10.4 per 1,000 opponent touches.

The Netherlands international can charge forward with the ball, too, which is what happened in September’s 3-0 victory over United at Old Trafford.

Left-back — Destiny Udogie

A couple of months ago, it seemed like Djed Spence had replaced Destiny Udogie as the first-choice left-back. Spence was excellent in possession and defended diligently while Udogie returned to full fitness following a hamstring injury.

It felt like a bold call when Postecoglou started Udogie ahead of Spence in the first leg of their quarter-final against Frankfurt. Yet, Udogie was exceptional in both legs and the semi-final.

After Friday’s defeat to Villa, The Athletic asked Postecoglou why he had left Romero, Van de Ven and Udogie out of the squad while Vicario and Porro were unused substitutes.

“For us, there’s no point bringing them here; they weren’t going to play today,” he said. “They stayed at home, they did a really strong (training) session and, come Wednesday, knock on wood, they are all available, and that’s the most important thing. That’s the primary thing. When those guys play, that back four with Vic in goal, our chances of success significantly improve.”

Central midfield — Rodrigo Bentancur

Bentancur’s performances over the past few months have underlined why he has pushed ahead of Bissouma as the first-choice holding midfielder. Data taken before Friday’s fixture showed that, on average, Bentancur makes 5.3 interceptions per 1,000 opposition touches, which is more than any other midfielder with a minimum of 900 minutes in the Premier League this season.

The 27-year-old is excellent at blocking passing lanes and ranks second for ball recoveries (11.5 per 1,000 opposition touches). He will definitely start.

Central midfield — Yves Bissouma

Postecoglou criticised Bissouma following a 2-0 defeat to Fulham in March and said he “can let games pass him by”. Injuries have opened the door for the Mali international, whose erratic form is a constant frustration.

Bissouma and Bentancur need to work together to limit the influence of United’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, in Bilbao.

Central midfield — Pape Matar Sarr

Pape Matar Sarr came off in the 51st minute against Villa with discomfort in his back. Postecoglou said he “didn’t think it was anything too significant”. Then again, he uttered nearly the exact same line when Kulusevski suffered a knee injury last weekend, which later required surgery.

If Sarr is fit, he could cause United problems with his late runs into the box and ability to score from distance. This is a functional and combative midfield that lacks a little bit of magic. However, Tottenham’s best results this season, including their 4-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad, have come when they have had less possession.

United thrive in transition, which means Spurs could have a lot of success if they sit deeper, which is what happened against Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt, and challenge their opponents to break them down. Sarr’s defensive instincts would help in that scenario.

The alternative option is to start Odobert, Solanke or even Moore as a No 10, but that would feel like an extremely risky experiment for such an important game.

Right wing — Brennan Johnson

Johnson is Tottenham’s top scorer in all competitions this season with 17 goals. At times, it can feel like he doesn’t contribute too much and can fade out of games, but he always attacks the back post in anticipation of the ball being crossed.

United play a 3-4-3 formation under Ruben Amorim and push their wing-backs high. There could, therefore, be a lot of space for Johnson to exploit behind them.

Striker — Dominic Solanke

The biggest dilemma with Solanke is whether to drop him into the No 10 position and start Richarlison as the centre-forward. Solanke is integral to the way Spurs press and he stretches defences with his off-ball runs. He is much better technically than Richarlison and is adept at holding the ball up before laying it off to his team-mates. Solanke, then, surely needs to start in his favoured position.

Left-wing — Wilson Odobert

This is the most difficult decision to make. Son Heung-min and Harry Kane have been Spurs’ most important players over the past decade. The 32-year-old spoke passionately to South Korean media at the beginning of the week and said: “The biggest reason I stayed at Tottenham was because I wanted to do something others couldn’t achieve. That’s probably why I’m where I am now. You need all the pieces to complete a puzzle.”

It would be a huge shame if he did not win a trophy during his time with Spurs, but emotion should not impact this decision. Son looked lively in the first half against Villa, which was his first start in more than a month following a foot injury, yet there have been too many times this season when he has been sluggish and slowed down attacks.

Richarlison started on the left wing for both legs against Bodo/Glimt, but the thought of Wilson Odobert or Mathys Tel attacking United’s centre-backs with their speed is too tempting. I’m going for Odobert because his ability to dribble past defenders and create space for others will be crucial with Maddison and Kulusevski ruled out.

(Top photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

This season’s Europa League finalists Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have both endured historically woeful seasons on the domestic front.

Yet lifting the trophy in the Spanish city of Bilbao on Wednesday evening could completely change the mood at either Premier League club going into the summer and on into next season — it is 90 minutes (at least) that could potentially transform how their 2024-25 campaign is remembered.

The Athletic’s Mark Critchley, Elias Burke and Chris Weatherspoon assess which of the two managers, squads, fanbases and bank balances need this one more…

The Europa League final on The Athletic

Follow our build-up live with teams in Bilbao, London and Manchester

Listen to our dedicated Man Utd podcast

Read: The rise of Manchester United’s Leny Yoro – as told by his mum

Read: Tributes to Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League finalists from the people who know them best

Which of the two managers needs this more?

Ruben Amorim, Manchester United

Listen to Ruben Amorim and you might get the impression he could do without Champions League football next season (which United would get as Europa League winners). He has openly questioned whether or not it would be better to lose this final and spend a year outside European competition, as United have proved incapable of fighting on two fronts under him in the six months since his appointment.

More time on the training ground between matches would help the squad adapt to his methods — that’s the theory. But Amorim has also spoken about the need to spend in the transfer market, and the riches that winning the Europa League would bring could change United’s outlook for the summer window drastically.

It would also bolster his own position. Amorim has not come under anything like the same scrutiny as his Spurs counterpart Ange Postecoglou this season, there are no short-term concerns over his future, and he has been given the benefit of the doubt by supporters. But even he has accepted that will not last if United lose tonight and then show little sign of improvement next season.

Mark Critchley

Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur

It’s the Premier League’s worst-kept secret that even success in the Europa League final may not be enough to save Postecoglou’s job… but it would do no harm in setting up a potential new chapter for him elsewhere.

Unlike Amorim, Postecoglou is not a young manager (he turns 60 in August) and, given his extremely unconventional journey through Australia, Greece, Japan and Scotland to reach the Premier League, may not be afforded the same licence to fail and rebound as his 40-year-old United counterpart. Finishing the season as the man who ended Tottenham’s infamous trophy drought dating back to 2008 will read much better on his job history than the fact he’s guided them to their worst finish in Premier League history.

With no official line from himself or any of the club’s representatives to confirm this will be his second and final season as Tottenham manager, irrespective of the result in Bilbao, it may also buy him the 2025-26 campaign to continue his project in north London. Spurs have recruited young under Postecoglou’s stewardship, and very few of their new players had Premier League and elite European experience when they were signed.

Given his success in other leagues after being backed during difficult periods, perhaps a win against United tonight may convince the club’s decision-makers to persist with the Australian through a third summer transfer window.

Elias Burke

Are either set of players worthy winners?

United

If Amorim has largely escaped criticism for United’s desperate performances in the 2024-25 Premier League, his players haven’t. There has long been a sense among supporters that this squad has let manager after manager down, even though there are only six first-teamers left at the club who were also part of the 2020-21 group — the last time United played in a Europa League final.

Bruno Fernandes, Amad and Harry Maguire were all present in Gdansk that night, and are the three to emerge from this campaign with the most credit. Fernandes, in particular, deserves more of it for carrying his team-mates on his back. Noussair Mazraoui should get a notable mention too, and others have impressed here and there, but most have either been inconsistent or have underwhelmed.

No player will be under more scrutiny than Rasmus Hojlund, who has scored twice in his past five games but has still looked bereft of confidence. Amorim has little choice but to start the 22-year-old up top tonight, as alternatives are either injured or ineligible. A new striker is a priority in the summer, but Hojlund’s record for United in the European competitions is decent. He and others who have disappointed could still end a difficult year on a high.

Mark Critchley

Spurs

For most of Tottenham’s squad, this season has probably been the most difficult of their careers.

A team many expected to compete again for a place in the Champions League via their final Premier League position suffered a winter collapse in the domestic top flight that they have not recovered from. With just one game remaining in the league season, it would not be a surprise to see them finish in 17th, their current position, effectively marking them as the worst side outside of the three relegated teams. The potential effects of such a catastrophic league campaign are unknown, but it’s perhaps a sore only victory in the Europa League can heal.

And for the significant portion of the squad who have spent weeks and months sidelined due to injury, it would be the reward for all that time spent helplessly watching their team-mates suffer.

Given the extent of the injury crisis, winning this competition would truly be a squad accomplishment, with several academy talents playing important roles during the league phase and previously out-of-favour senior players stepping up in the knockout ties while Postecoglou’s typical starters were rehabilitating.

Elias Burke

Which fanbase most deserves this happy ending to a painful season?

United

Since Tottenham’s last trophy in 2008, United have won four Premier League titles, a Champions League, two FA Cups, four League Cups, a Club World Cup and a Europa League. Even if we just limit ourselves to the so-called ‘banter era’ following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, it’s five major pieces of silverware in 12 years. Most clubs — Spurs included — would kill for that.

So United fans have had it good, even when they’ve had it (for them) bad. But no club is guaranteed success, and the rot that has long been spoken about at Old Trafford is now seeping through into results. United are about to record their lowest finish of the Premier League era, for the second consecutive year.

Lose on Wednesday and they will spend a season out of Europe for only the second time since English clubs’ post-Heysel ban ended in 1990. The first time that happened, in 2014-15, they bounced straight back and qualified for the Champions League through a top-four finish. It’s hard to be confident that it would be the same again this time.

European trips are the highlight of many fans’ seasons. Winning in Bilbao would keep United’s followers going for one more year, at least.

Mark Critchley

Spurs

Nobody can question that Manchester United fans have been put through the wringer this season, but this one’s easy: Tottenham supporters are arguably the Premier League’s most tortured fanbase, relative to expectation.

Let’s not forget, it’s only 12 months since youth-team graduates Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo set United on their way to FA Cup final victory against local rivals Manchester City at Wembley, denying them the double — just about the best feeling you could possibly imagine as a supporter. That was United’s fifth post-Alex Ferguson trophy and their 13th since Spurs last lifted silverware in 2008.

For a club of Tottenham’s size and history, a 17-year wait for a trophy is too long. There have been seven semi-final and four final defeats since that League Cup triumph, and it’s about time Spurs fans felt the jubilation a cup final can bring, as opposed to the agony they’ve experienced in them during recent years.

Victory tonight would make all of it — the trophy drought, the 21 league defeats this season, the continued frustrations over the ownership — worth it… even if there’s an acceptance that 2025-26 must be considerably better.

Elias Burke

Financially speaking, who could most do with that prize money?

It is a byproduct of football’s relentless pursuit of the dollar, or euro in this instance, that this year’s Europa League final often feels to have been deemed more important for what might follow it than the glory of winning a trophy.

Today’s victors will get some silverware for their troubles – an occurrence Tottenham fans surely feel is long overdue – but this game is also, in effect, a play-off for a place in next season’s Champions League.

Why that spot is so coveted is obvious: both finalists need the cash. In United’s case, they continue to spend like a Champions League team even when such status has proven increasingly elusive; a loss in Bilbao would make next season the sixth in 12 where they’ve not played in UEFA’s premier club tournament.

United’s recent financial concerns are well-highlighted, not least by the swathe of redundancies undertaken since Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrived as co-owner in early 2024. Yet they’ve hardly cut their cloth in other areas. United have spent a further £274.5million on transfers this season and by the end of December owed a net £300.1m to other clubs in payments for past signings, the highest in England and a significant ongoing drain on an already squeezed cash position.

Faring little better in that regard are Spurs. Their £279.3million owed on transfers was a Premier League high at the end of last June, and they are another club who’ve spent heavily in recent years and are now feeling the impact of doing so. Their finances aren’t quite so troubling as United’s have become, but they’ve gone from being cash-rich to rather squeezed themselves, at least by their own recent standards. An uncharacteristic £35m share injection from owner ENIC was proof enough of that.

On offer this midweek is a bounty neither can afford to sniff at. Whoever wins this match will bank around £5million, on top of the £30m or so they’ve earned in the Europa League to date, as well as a little over £3m for qualifying to face the Champions League winners in August’s Super Cup.

The real financial prize would come later next season; consider United earned £53.8million via European matches during their last Champions League year, a season when they finished bottom of their group with one win in the six games – and one which came before UEFA introduced an even more lucrative new format.

In terms of estimating next year’s earnings from a Champions League spot, The Athletic project United will earn a minimum £77m across UEFA prize money, takings from at least four extra home games and an avoidance of a £10m haircut to their kit supplier deal with Adidas. That’s even if they lose every group game. We estimate Spurs’ minimum earnings would be a lower, but still healthy, £60m.

Each of these two finalists have £30million-plus annual interest payments to service, whether they travel as far south as Barcelona or only Brighton and Bournemouth next season. Between them, United and Spurs spent a net £942m on players in the three seasons before this one, each now boasting squads among the eight most costly in world football and, in United’s case last season, Europe’s seventh-highest wage bill.

Champions League, indeed.

Chris Weatherspoon

But what do other clubs’ fans think?

With two Premier League clubs competing in a European final for only the sixth time, The Athletic was curious to know which of United and Spurs the fans of other English clubs would be backing in today’s final.

We polled followers of the other 18 Premier League clubs on who they would rather win if they had to pick one or the other, and the results were… well, they were probably pretty much what you’d expect.

Overall, 68.4 per cent of those polled said they wanted Tottenham to win, with a victory for the north London club the preference for fans of 14 of the other sides. The only three fanbases who voted in favour of United were, perhaps unsurprisingly given football’s cross-London antipathy, Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham. The only fanbase to show any signs of diplomacy was Brentford’s, who voted evenly for both clubs.

What is slightly more eye-catching is that as many as 48.1 per cent of the Chelsea supporters went for a Spurs win, while not a single Evertonian to respond was willing to entertain the prospect of United clinching the first trophy of the Amorim era.

(Top photo: Getty Images)

As Tottenham Hotspur prepare for Wednesday evening’s Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao, a mix of friends, family, former coaches and team-mates offer unique insight into the squad determined to end a 17-year trophy drought.

Son Heung-min

Kevin Wimmer, friend and former team-mate at Spurs

Early on in my time at Spurs, I remember Allan Dixon, our team manager, telling me the club were signing another German-speaking player and asking if I could help him settle. I was expecting a German or maybe another Austrian, but of course it was Sonny.

I knew him from the Bundesliga but not on a personal level, but from that first day you could see that he was such an amazing guy. The mood in the team for sure with him is much better than without him because he brings this positive energy and is always joking. Of course, he can be serious as well, but most of the time, when it’s not on the pitch, he’s always happy and making jokes. The impact he has is even more obvious now he’s captain, I think.

We were together at Tottenham for two years and we spent nearly every day together. We’d play PlayStation after training, sometimes go out for dinner. His parents lived with him at the time; I would go to their house and his mom would cook for both of us — she always took care of me like I was family.

Sometimes in football when you change clubs, you lose contact with old team-mates but that was just the start of our friendship, and will still speak regularly to this day. I visited him in London earlier this season, and we were messaging towards the end of the Bodo/Glimt game when it was obvious Spurs were going to the final.

I know it would be a dream come true for Sonny if he can win this trophy with Spurs. He has been at the club for so many years and done an amazing job. He has always sacrificed himself for the team. I will be watching from my holiday in Bali — it would mean so much for him to win it, and I really, really hope he does.

Cristian Romero

Miguel Veloso, team-mate at Genoa

I remember Cuti arriving at Genoa in 2018 as a 20-year-old kid, coming to a new country, a new culture, and a new language for him. But he came with a lot of personality and character — a kid who worked hard every single day. He was training with us in the first team but the coach, Davide Ballardini, had him playing with the Primavera (youth team).

But when Ivan Juric came in as coach in October, his first game was against Juventus, and he put Cuti straight into the first XI for the first time.

He played extremely well, and from there he played all the games for us. I always believed he could achieve big, big things because he has a strong character, and personality on the ball.

When he moved to Juventus I couldn’t believe they didn’t play him, but when he went to Atalanta I knew that with Gian Piero Gasperini he would become a top, top centre-back. I am very happy for his success. When we played together, I had a connection with him because he was a good kid, a good person, and a leader by example.

I am happy and proud for him to have the success that he deserves.

James Maddison

Steven Pressley, manager at Coventry City

There have been very few players that I can honestly say I’ve seen play just once before knowing they’re going to be a top player. But I could see from the moment I laid eyes on James that he was something special.

From his first session training with the first team he had that confidence, that belief, where he wanted to control the game even as the youngest player on the pitch. He already had that special ingredient of being able to actually control the tempo of a game. You see it in him all the time now — he can take the game from a slow phase into really quick football. When you see him taking responsibility as one of the senior players at Spurs, that’s exactly the character he was as a 16-year-old, dealing with much older team-mates. He would be taking a grip of training sessions, wanting the ball, setting the tempo.

I never felt that I needed to influence the technical aspects of his game a great deal — he already had all of those attributes. The areas I felt we could help him were his mindset, and his understanding of what it takes to be a professional, an elite player. That was where I was able to influence him most.

There was one time — I can’t remember exactly what he had done, I think maybe he hadn’t cleaned the dressing room or boots properly — but his punishment was cleaning my car. It was just about installing those standards into James, making him understand what it takes to be a real football player, about every minute of every day living that life, not cutting corners. He’s really developed into a terrific player and a terrific young man. And behind that, he had a great family which I think is really important for every young player. I’m proud to see him get to the top.

Pape Matar Sarr

Go Sarr, coach at Wally Daan FC in Thies, Senegal

Pape came to my training centre in Thies from the age of four. And from an early age, we saw he had certain attributes that meant it was possible that he could reach the very top.

The first quality of Pape Matar Sarr is mental. He does not play with pressure. It doesn’t matter if things go against his team, he finds a way to pick the team up. He’s so positive: I must pass, I must win, I must play, I must progress. The second quality is psychological: his tactical reading of the game. He understands what to do and when. He sees what is happening and interprets it in an intelligent manner. And he has an unbelievable running ability to keep going, an innate quality that makes him an extremely good runner from midfield. You can see that quite a lot with Spurs when he brings the ball out, has really good endurance as well, a very good base level of fitness and running ability.

Senegal is proud and happy to see one of our sons playing in the final of the Europa League, the first from Senegal. It was Sadio Mane who played in the Champions League final in 2019, and Pape Matar is the second Senegalese, inshallah, who will play in a final of the Europa League, also a prestigious European competition. Senegal is happy. The town of Thies is happy. The family is happy. And we are happy.

We pray for a Tottenham victory.

Archie Gray

A letter from cousin Nick Gray

Dear Archie,

The Leeds fan in me was beyond gutted when you left the club last year and made the move to Tottenham. We knew we were losing our prized asset and one of our top players. But as a proud family member, I knew that even at such a young age you needed and wanted to test yourself at the highest level and against the best players in the world.

Little did we know that, less than a year later, you would find yourself in a major European final and within 90 minutes of securing the first major piece of silverware of your career.

I can’t tell you how proud myself and all the family are of you and all that you have achieved in your career to date. It’s testament to your character and to your ability as a player that you have been able to adjust so quickly to life in the Premier League and to European competition, especially as you have had to play much of the season outside of your preferred midfield role.

It seems like only yesterday that you were playing in the back garden at Eddie and Linda’s with the rest of the kids, trying to get the better of your cousins and brothers and always giving 100 per cent to get one over on them. No doubt some of these games were almost as competitive as the games you find yourself playing in now, and you’ll be glad to hear that nothing has changed! Only last Sunday, your two youngest brothers came to blows in the very same garden over a ‘mistimed’ tackle and had to be pulled apart before a full-scale brawl ensued. We wouldn’t have it any other way!

From back-garden games to Elland Road, and now onto Bilbao for this final, it all seems to have happened in a blur.

Myself and all the family will be watching on next Wednesday with great pride and will be hoping you manage to get the win. But win or lose, know that we are all incredibly proud of you. Proud of the career you are forging for yourself, proud of all of your achievements as a player, of which I’m sure there will be many, many more, but most of all proud of the man you have become and the way you conduct yourself on and off the pitch.

It’s not too often I find myself cheering for another club side other than Leeds United, but I will certainly be making an exception next week. Best of luck Archie, we’re all behind you!

From Nick and all the Gray family.

Pedro Porro

Filipe Çelikkaya, coach at Sporting CP

The first time I met Pedro was when he came to Sporting CP when he was 20. He came to be a very important piece at Sporting during his time there. Everyone liked him a lot because of his amazing personality, always with a smile on his face. He had all the ingredients for success: he was a very hard worker, he was really humble, he was ready to listen.

He had quality in the final third, and intensity that he put into every challenge. He was playing as wing-back, in a different system from other teams in Portugal. The challenge for him was to take that responsibility. I think it was very good for him. We saw him evolving during his first season, understanding what the coach asked him to do better. It was the stage and the place that he needed to go to the next level, and the next level was the top level, the Premier League.

Of course, it is interesting for us that on Wednesday he will face Ruben Amorim, the coach who signed him for Sporting..

Everyone at Sporting is happy for Pedro and wishes him all the best. I know the players here still miss him a lot. We are always proud when any player who has passed through our club has success in his career.

Micky van de Ven

Wim Jonk, coach at Volendam

I first saw Mickey when he was 18, playing for Volendam Under-19s. We saw some strengths — his physical ability was so high, but there was also so much to grow.

Mickey, when he started, was sometimes lazy. We brought some focus to him. He needed to develop some other things, not just rely on his pace and physical ability. As a defender at the top level, you have to be two steps in front, being alert on every small detail. Sometimes he was a bit, ‘I can do that tomorrow’. You have to do it today as well!

The player must make the decision. We as coaches can have a good plan, we can help him, we can speak with him — and we did all that a lot. But most of it must come from the player himself. He has to focus on every small detail. And that’s what he now does all the time.

Sometimes I give him a call, to help him, to check his focus still in the right place. I see a lot of him and he’s so focused now these days. I’m so happy for him, and so proud that he is playing in this kind of game.

Radu Dragusin

Svetlana Simion, mother

Radu was always a very good boy; he was always either at school, at football practice, or back home doing his homework. His two big dreams were to be a footballer and to get good marks at school!

He was about seven when he started to play football. And since then, other than a small injury he had before going to Juventus, and the surgery he had this season, he did not miss one practice, for any reason.

I played basketball for the Romanian national team, and won the European Championship. Radu’s father, Dan, was a volleyball player, who played at the national level. So Radu has good genes for sport.

That knee injury (in January), was a shock for us all because it was his first serious injury. But Radu is very strong mentally, he realised that he will come back stronger than before. His recovery is amazing, and he’s working very, very hard.

Everybody is very excited for the final, we keep our fingers crossed. Part of the family will be there, part will be in front of the TV. I will not be in Bilbao because that day my mother, Radu’s grandmother, turns 80. We will have a celebration, then we are all going to watch it on TV.

This is the beauty of team sport. It doesn’t matter if you play or don’t play, if you’re injured, it’s a big, big family. I always feel like being in sports is being in a second family. Because you spend more time practising and on the field than you spend at home. The team is the second family for us. It will be a good game. I hope we are going to be winners.

Let’s go Spurs!

Dominic Solanke

Dan Du-Heaume, teacher at Brighton Hill Community School

When Dom joined our school at the age of 11, we found out from his primary school that he had been at Chelsea’s youth academy from a very young age. We had a pretty good idea that he must be a talented footballer, but we didn’t realise just how good he was until we saw him play.

I was his PE teacher for those first three years. I would love to be able to tell you he learned it all from me, but that was absolutely not the case. He was a natural. He wasn’t a trickster, but he had such poise and grace on the ball. He had this ability to take the ball past three or four players and then just lay it off for a team-mate so that they could take the glory. He was such a gracious, humble boy.

That was one of the striking things about Dom. He was living a different life to his classmates, training with Chelsea, going away with England to play in various tours and tournaments. You sometimes hear of a stereotypical “prima donna footballer” attitude when they join one of the big academies, but Dom was always so down to earth. He would mix with all sorts of different characters and get on with all of them.

He was such a good team-mate and such a good pupil. He was so quiet and so focused. He wasn’t especially academic, but he worked hard and he was never in trouble.

As things got more and more serious for him at Chelsea, it became that he needed to be in a school closer to there. He left us at the end of year nine, but we have followed his career — from Chelsea to Liverpool to Bournemouth and now with Tottenham and England — with great interest and great satisfaction. His success resonates with the pupils and teachers here.

My only regret is that I didn’t take the opportunity to put a bet on him playing for England one day. I was pretty sure he would.

Richarlison

A letter from Guilherme Xavier, former team-mate at America

Querido Richarlison,

I can still remember your first training session with the first team at America in Minas Gerais. I knew how good you were but some of the older guys? They couldn’t believe it. You surprised everyone with your strength and your intelligence. And you have repeated that trick so many times throughout your career.

I’ll never forget all the time we spent together in the youth team. Not just on the training pitch but in the dorm rooms, talking about the future and giggling at stupid jokes. I liked you because you were a simple guy, very honest. There was no ego, even when bigger clubs started calling your agent. You were pure, one of life’s good guys.

Even in those early days, I thought you’d go far. I was probably even more confident of it than you were, to be honest. You weren’t just a natural on the pitch; you were such a hard worker. Nothing else mattered to you. You knew when to joke around but when the whistle blew, you were a picture of focus. That intensity made you the player you are today.

I know you’ve been through some tough moments in the last couple of years. I saw you crying in an interview, talking about your struggles with your mental health. It was really hard to watch. I’m so glad that you seem to be doing better now. You look happier, like the old Richarlison again.

We haven’t spoken for a few years now. That’s completely normal: it’s nearly a decade since we played together. But I want you to know that I’m always here for you, always in your corner. I know that winning the Europa League would be massive — for Tottenham and for you personally. I’ll be cheering you on this Wednesday.

Ben Davies

Leon Britton, team-mate at Swansea City

Ben was never one I thought was nailed-on to get into the first team at Swansea, and that’s just me being totally honest. You have to give a lot of credit to Michael Laudrup (Swansea’s manager at the time), who obviously had confidence that Ben could step up. When Neil Taylor broke his leg early in the 2012-13 season, Ben totally proved me wrong. The way he came into the team — he just settled into it like he’d been playing in the Premier League all his life.

I remember at the time Ben had a VW Polo. He had the old wind-down windows and they got jammed, so they couldn’t go up or down. Ashley Williams, our captain, said something like, ‘For f***’s sake, Ben, you’re playing in the Premier League, you can’t be driving into the stadium in that!’

A lot of players in Ben’s situation would have got a new contract and come in the next week in a brand new Mercedes, But I think it’s testament to Ben that he probably didn’t want to be seen as, ‘Oh, I’ve played five games in the Premier League — I’ve made it.’

To see where Ben is now — he’s had over 10 years at Spurs — says everything about his professionalism, his character, his personality and, of course, his ability. I’m just so chuffed for him that he’s had such an incredible career. It couldn’t happen to a better person and, hopefully, he can win a European trophy now — I’m sure that would mean more to Ben than a lot of the players because he’s been at Tottenham so long.

Brennan Johnson

Gareth Holmes, coach with Nottingham Forest Under-18s

I always remember the game when a young Brennan really came to life. He was 16 and he’d moved up to play for Forest’s under-23s. Then we played one game at Birmingham City and I came away thinking, ‘That’s the start of something special.’

Brennan was a quiet young man, but he had an inner confidence. There was an aura about him and on that day it felt like he was telling everyone, ‘This is me, I’ve grown into myself now, I know what I’m capable of.’

Even at a young age, Brennan had an incredible ability to glide with the ball and see things on the move while travelling at speed. He was always very slight as a boy and, at the age of 14, he had a difficult injury. We had to wait for his physicality to catch up with his technicality. But he had those extra levels in his locker and, with time, I always felt it was going to flourish. When it did, it was so exciting to see.

He always wanted to score goals and affect games. He had an inner bravery that we saw grow and grow over time.

I remember another game against Leicester City in the FA Youth Cup, when we went down to 10 men in the first half. Brennan didn’t get a lot of the ball after that, but he was prepared to be part of a team rather than playing as an individual. You should have seen the amount of hard work and tireless running he put in. His attitude was brilliant.

It helped that his parents, David and Alison, were excellent behind the scenes, especially with David being an ex-player and understanding how difficult it is to become a footballer. He and Alison knew the end goal for Brennan was not to become a scholar at Nottingham Forest, it was to become a professional. So they understood the hard yards he had to put in and pushed him to work hard, to be driven and single-minded.

He’s a tremendous young man from an excellent family and, very often, you find that the best footballers are the best people, too. Brennan has gone on to great things, first at Forest and now with Spurs, but he still found time to send my son a message on his eighth birthday.

Rodrigo Bentancur

Horacio Anselmi, talent scout for Boca Juniors

I was doing a lecture in Colonia Valdense in Uruguay, talking about children and football. I was looking at a match outside and there was a little boy playing against grown men, and he was fantastic. A man called Daniel Fernandez Tocci who had been with River Plate asked me if I liked the boy and how he played. I said yes, he is fantastic! I asked how old he was, expecting him to be 17. He told me that the boy was only 12!

I spoke about him in my lecture, telling the students about how to make the first steps to make the transformation from being a kid to a first-class footballer. His family spoke to me after the lecture and asked if it was possible for him to join the club I scouted for, Boca Juniors. His family were fantastic, very kind people. They later gave me a present of local specialty cheese from Colonia Valdense.

A few weeks after I found him, Rodrigo was with us in Buenos Aires, living with his aunt, and we began to transform him into the fantastic player that he is today. I always knew that he would become a top player. My job is to find sporting talents, not just in football but in track and field, weight-lifting and wrestling. So I am very happy when I saw Juan Martin Del Potro or Guillermo Coria play tennis. I remember when Coria was just a small kid from a small town, and he became number three ranked tennis player in the world.

When you see the kids you saw at 10 years old, playing at the top, winning medals, it is incredible happiness that you have. Knowing that history depends on you.

Lucas Bergvall

A letter from parents Andreas and Malin Bergvall

Dear Lucas,

Where do we even begin? From the moment you came into the world on February 2, 2006 as the middle son and beloved brother to Theo and Rasmus, you were surrounded by passion and love.

Football was a big part of your life from an early age. You were so competitive and determined from the beginning. You always made sure to eat the right foods, prioritise your sleep, and do whatever was necessary to maximise your potential — with support from mum and dad along the way.

Your love for football was absolute — you practically slept with the ball, carried it everywhere, and let it shape who you are. That passion has never faded. To this day, you remain grounded, family-oriented, and incredibly social, someone who thrives in the presence of others. You are a man of principles and integrity, steadfast in your ways, determined to do things as you see fit.

We want you to know how deeply loved you are. Your kindness, generosity, and happy attitude are part of the man you have become. Despite your young age, you have already accomplished a lot, but we know your journey is far from over and there is still so much more to come.

Your first year abroad has been incredible. Seeing you being a part of a Europa League final is surreal, an unforgettable moment for everyone who has supported you. Words cannot express how proud we are!

We wish you all the success in the world.

All the best!

Mom, Dad and your brothers xx

Ange Postecoglou

Micky Petersen, former team-mate, assistant coach and lifelong friend

Where do I start? It’s crazy, we go back to 10 or 11 years of age. He’s just a boy from Prahran in Melbourne. We played school soccer and junior soccer, and then I joined him at South Melbourne. It was the biggest club in Australia at the time. From knowing and playing with and against him at junior levels, it’s been the best part of 45 to 50 years of knowing him intimately. You know what I love, mate? He hasn’t changed as a bloke.

We’ve all got to put on different hats sometimes, whether it’s fronting up to media, the changing rooms or the board, but I caught up with him here in Australia when Tottenham played a friendly game in pre-season last year, and it was just great. We had lunch together. He’s just living his best life. He loves football; he’s a football historian. If you didn’t know, we had posters of Glenn Hoddle and Kenny Dalglish on our walls. For him to be managing a club of the ilk of Tottenham, it’s just freaking crazy. I love it. It’s kind of a dream, parallel universe thing.

The first thing that sprang to my mind when he made the final — obviously I’ve been paying attention to the narrative in England — is back in the day when Craig Johnston was playing for Liverpool and Australia. Australia wanted him to commit to the national team, and he said, ‘Playing soccer for Australia is like surfing for England.’ Soon after, Martin Potter won the world surfing championship for England. I thought, how funny is that now? An Aussie has gone to England, the home of football, and he’s on the cusp of doing something which feels like a glass ceiling moment for us Australians. It used to feel impossible.

That’s what life’s all about, isn’t it? Shocking the systems that we all think are in place. Ange has done that his whole career, and it doesn’t surprise me. Going back to our junior days, he’s always been such a student of the game. His ability to navigate all tiers of the club, whether it’s the people in the cafeteria right through to the owners, he can galvanise everyone. He’s always made the game the hero, not himself. He accepts responsibility and gives credit to the people around him in success.

We played Man United at the World Club Championship with South Melbourne 25 years ago, and the irony is just, wow. All that time later, he’s back again with Spurs taking on Man United in a European final — what a story.

What a dream for Ange and Australian football, and I know he’s encompassing Australia in his journey. We’ll be riding it hard Thursday morning for him.

Interviews: Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jay Harris, Elias Burke, Daniel Taylor, Phil Hay, Stuart James, Jack Lang, Oliver Kay, Charlie Eccleshare