The Independent

Tottenham ended their 17-year trophy drought as they defeated Manchester United to win the Europa League final in Bilbao.

Spurs delivered victory for Ange Postecoglou in the all-or-nothing clash as Brennan Johnson forced in a scrappy winning goal before half time.

Tottenham were resilient defensively as they held onto their lead, with Micky van de Ven producing the standout moment with an acrobatic goal-line clearance.

But Tottenham will not care and can now celebrate a season-saving trophy, as well as qualification for next year’s Champions League.

Here are how the players rated from the Europa League final

Guglielmo Vicario, 6

Looked nervy, then flapped at a free-kick that almost let United back into it but he was bailed out by Van de Ven. It’s amazing he wasn’t tested more by United - but he made the all important save from Shaw’s header to get Spurs over the line.

Pedro Porro, 7

Whipped in couple of excellent crosses early on and provided some threat, though set-pieces were less accurate.

Cristian Romero, 8

Led Tottenham to their first trophy in 17 years, all while walking a disciplinary tightrope. Involved in many a tussle. Just about got the balance right.

Micky van de Ven, 9

Player of the final, producing an astonishing goal-line clearance to keep Spurs ahead. Even before then, he made an excellent block to deny a Fernandes volley and lept Hojlund very quiet. Physically dominant all match.

Destiny Udogie, 7

Was kept busy by Diallo, but gradually started to hold it down and he had an excellent second half. Lots of energy up and down the left.

Yves Bissouma, 5

Midfield was particularly scrappy and it was hard for anyone to stand out. Gave away some cheap fouls but generally held his position.

Rodrigo Bentancur, 6

Offered some penetration with his run from deep that led to Tottenham’s winning goal, creating that space for Sarr to deliver. Very solid in the second half in defensive midfield.

Pape Matar Sarr, 6

Had been quiet, until finding the teasing cross to the front post that led to Shaw’s own goal. United’s defence and Onana did not know how to deal with it. Grew into it and gave Tottenham some legs and athleticism when they grew deeper.

Brennan Johnson, 6

Again, had keep very quiet until forcing Tottenham’s winning goal in the final. It went in off Shaw, but Johnson forced it with his willingness to run across. Worked hard.

Dominic Solanke, 5

Harry Maguire did a very good job on the Tottenham striker. Should have done much better on the counter-attack in the second half, but his touch was awful.

Richarlison, 5

Selected ahead of Son Heung Min and it was hard to see why for long spells, but did find an incisive ball into Bentancur for the winning goa and he put in a good shift defensively.

Subs

Son Heung Min, 5: Could have offered more on the break late on.

Kevin Danso, 6: Came on to help see the game out. Made one incredible headed clearance.

Djed Spence, N/A

Archie Gray, N/A

Andre Onana, 4

There were questions marks across the United defence for the goal. It’s hard to escape the idea that Onana doesn’t help with his communication, or lack of. Distribution very poor.

Leny Yoro, 5

Recovered to start in the Europa League final, the 19-year-old offered some decent moments in possession - but made a terrible decision to go for goal from distance in the final minutes.

Harry Maguire, 6

One of United’s better performers on the night. Kept Solanke quiet and played a few decent passes over the defence or out wide.

Luke Shaw, 4

Unfortunate with the own goal, and looked to be pointing towards Johnson to instruct Dorgu to get closer to the Tottenham forward. That said, Shaw was very sloppy from kick-off.

Noussair Mazraoui, 4

Set up a good chance for Fernandes. But so one-paced, and couldn’t take advantage on the few occasions where United were able to play out.

Casemiro, 4

Looked a lot more like the Casemiro in the Premier League than the Europa League. Struggled with the pace.

Bruno Fernandes, 5

Couldn’t summon one last escape act but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Probably missed United’s best chance, heading Mazraoui's header wide.

Patrick Dorgu, 3

Really poor on the goal, given he could see across the backline. The space between Shaw and Dorgu was a weak link for United all game. Delivery not good enough from wide areas too.

Amad Diallo, 6

Was United’s most dangerous attacking player in the first half, with a couple of lively dribbles into the box.

Mason Mount, 3

His selection over Alejandro Garnacho was a big call and one that did not pay off. Struggled to make an impact, or show why he was in the team.

Rasmus Hojlund, 3

Clearly works very hard but this was a familiar story, with the striker lacking any attacking threat or contributing any decisive actions on the ball. Denied by Van de Ven’s extraordinary clearance.

Subs

Alejandro Garnacho, 6: Made an impact. Should have come on a lot earlier.

Joshua Zirkzee, 5: Brought an improvement.

Diogo Dalot, N/A

Kobbie Mainoo, N/A

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United meet in Bilbao tonight for a showdown that could salvage either side’s season.

Spurs arrive at San Mamés for the Europa League final, desperate to end a 16-year trophy drought and “change the narrative” of a faltering campaign.

Ange Postecoglou’s men have impressed in Europe, overcoming Bodo/Glimt and Eintracht Frankfurt with resilience and tactical flexibility. “We want to change something,” said captain Son Heung-min, echoing the mood within the Spurs camp.

United, by contrast, approach the final with colder conviction. Ruben Amorim’s side dismantled Athletic Club 7-1 in the two-legged semi-final and are seeking a third trophy in two years.

But Amorim played down the stakes, saying, “This final changes nothing,” in keeping with his blunt assessment of United’s domestic struggles.

While Tottenham’s players speak of dreams and redemption, United lean on history and habit. “It’s about winning, plain and simple,” Bruno Fernandes said ahead of kick-off.

Both sides are injury-hit: United miss key defenders, Spurs are without their midfield core. But both have inverted their Premier League form in Europe – Spurs becoming composed and clinical, United rediscovering belief.

It all comes down to this: a one-country final between two flawed teams chasing very different kinds of validation.

So who will rise in Bilbao – the team that dreams of winning, or the one that expects it?

Both teams hope to secure silverware and qualify for next season’s Champions League with victory at the San Mames in Bilbao

Manchester United have been forced to ditch their traditional kit for the Europa League final due to a long-held convention.

The Red Devils clash with Tottenham in a sub-standard European showcase on Wednesday, with the two struggling Premier League outfits vying for silverware and an unlikely place in next season’s Champions League.

However, United will have a slightly different look to usual when they take to the San Mames, with a 64-year Spurs tradition dictating a change in strip.

It has been confirmed that Ruben Amorim’s side will sport black shorts instead of their traditional white, alongside their iconic red shirts and black socks.

This is due to the fact Spurs have worn all white in Europe since 1961 - and after being picked as the “home” side for the game, their kit choice supersedes that of United.

The tradition to don the white jersey was adopted by former manager Bill Nicholson, who strove to increase visibility for his players in stadiums that didn’t have good lighting in place.

Man United were previously required to alter their kit in Europe this season, sporting the same black shorts in their quarter-final first leg against Real Sociedad, in which they drew 1-1.

Spurs face Man United in a huge Europa League final, with both teams hoping to secure silverware and qualify for next season’s Champions League with victory at the San Mames in Bilbao

Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester United in the Europa League final tonight in Bilbao in a game that will elevate or condemn what have been, until this point, dismal campaigns for both clubs.

Both sides have been poor in the Premier League, combining for a staggering 39 defeats to sit 16th and 17th in the table, but both sets of supporters have overcome limited travel options to arrive in the Basque Country ready for their date with destiny.

Ange Postecoglou claimed he “always wins” a trophy in his second year in charge of clubs and has created waves of headlines in the build-up by taking a swipe at a journalist for writing that he was “teetering between hero and clown”. United arrive at the final unbeaten in Europe this term and looking to repeat the glory of 2017 in this competition over the heartache in 2021 when theu fell to Villarreal on penalties in the final.

And United have not beaten Spurs in their last six matches, with three successive losses, but Ruben Amorim’s side can boost hopes of a successful summer transfer window with victory here.

Follow all the latest team news and updates from chief football writer Miguel Delaney in Bilbao, with both managers and players set to speak ahead of Wednesday’s game:

The surprise Ruben Amorim pick that can inspire Manchester United to Europa League glory

One figure who Ruben Amorim has consistently praised in the last few months is Mason Mount, who has overcome injury and could play a key role today - as Pete Hall explores.

The surprise Amorim pick that can inspire Man United to Europa League glory

Amorim could deploy a false nine against Tottenham Hotspur to energise a United side struggling with Rasmus Hojlund in attack, with Mason Mount a candidate to start in that role over Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho

Flo Clifford21 May 2025 09:24

Spurs have had a terrible season – winning the Europa League won’t give them bragging rights over Arsenal

No opportunity to stoke the fires of tribalism is ever missed in the world of who can shout the loudest football analysis.

It is easy for some to claim Tottenham’s season will be a successful one, and more successful than Arsenal’s, should Spurs win the Europa League and end their agonising 17-year trophy drought. Arsenal’s wait for another Premier League triumph goes on, having become bridesmaids once more, this time to Liverpool.

Spurs have had a terrible season – winning in Europe won’t change that

Spurs could win their first major silverware in 17 years, with bitter rivals Arsenal unable to win a trophy once again under Mikel Arteta. But, argues Pete Hall, a win won’t make up for Ange Postecoglou’s disastrous league campaign

Flo Clifford21 May 2025 09:20

Ange Postecoglou confirms huge Tottenham injury blow for Europa League final

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed that Lucas Bergvall will be absent from the Europa League final at a press conference on the eve of the clash with Manchester United.

The midfielder has been missing since the end of April due to a significant ankle ligament injury and missed the semi-final victory over Bodo/Glimt.

He was initially ruled out for the rest of the season but travelled with the Tottenham squad to Bilbao and was seen in training with the team.

Despite hopes of a last minute return, Bergvall lacks match fitness and won’t be involved in the game confirmed Postecoglou. The Tottenham boss said: "Team news is pretty much the same as last week. Lucas [Bergvall] isn't available so it's pretty much the same as last week."

Ange Postecoglou confirms Tottenham injury blow for Europa League final

Midfielder Lucas Bergvall will miss the match against Manchester United on Wednesday

Flo Clifford21 May 2025 09:15

The farcical and fragile moments behind Manchester United’s lucky Europa League run

One of the largest clubs in the world has reached the Europa League final. Furnished with one of the biggest budgets in the game, in a year when their transfer outlay exceeded £230m, they arguably started the Europa League as favourites, finished third in the group stage, and are the only unbeaten side in all three European competitions.

It makes it sound simple. Manchester United being Manchester United, it has not been. The 16th side in the Premier League face Spurs, the team in 17th, in the Bilbao showpiece. United were 21st in the Europa League when they sacked Erik ten Hag. They have had three managers on their route to the final, trailed to teams from Portugal, Norway, Czechia and France. Harry Maguire has a 91st-minute equaliser and a 121st-minute winner. They have left it late to secure victory against Viktoria Plzen and Rangers, even later to beat Lyon. They have flirted with ignominy time and again and stand on the brink of triumph.

The farcical and fragile moments behind Man United’s lucky Europa League run

They can argue they earned their luck with indefatigability, moments of inspiration, and individuals delivering in improbable ways

Flo Clifford21 May 2025 09:05

The Tottenham and Man United flaws that will decide a Europa League final of extremes

As both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur came together in Bilbao, for a rare showpiece that distils so many disparate strands of both clubs' dismal seasons, there was one conspicuous difference between the camps.

Virtually everyone from Spurs said they were here to “change the bad season”, to “change the narrative”, to just “change something”. These comments came from Son Heung Min, Micky van de Ven and Ange Postecoglou.

With United, Ruben Amorim said this final changes nothing. That might be in keeping with the Portuguese’s unexpectedly scathing criticism of his own campaign - to the extent that it almost feels like he goes so severe to give himself cover - but it’s also consistent with the mood in his squad.

Read more from Miguel Delaney on the contrasting cultures and narratives of both clubs - and how they could combine in this unprecedented final.

Flo Clifford21 May 2025 08:50

Trio of United injury concerns all trained ahead of final

Forward Zirkzee has missed United’s last eight games in all competitions due to injury and had last month been ruled out for the rest of the season by boss Ruben Amorim.

Dalot (calf) has been absent for six matches, while fellow defender Yoro sat out last Friday’s 1-0 loss at Chelsea having sustained a foot issue.

While that trio were able to take part with their team-mates at Carrington on Tuesday morning – as was Jonny Evans – there was still no sign of Matthijs de Ligt, sidelined for the last three games.

Flo Clifford21 May 2025 08:40

Amad Diallo ‘praying’ for Europa League glory with Manchester United after double disappointment

It may have the makings of a quiz question. Which player was a runner-up in successive seasons of the Europa League with different clubs despite playing in neither final?

An answer of sorts will be apparent on Wednesday. Amad Diallo’s third Europa League final will also be his first: he hopes that, for the first time, the medal he collects will be gold. This time, he is not likely to languish among the unused substitutes the world of supersized benches has created.

“I already lost two. I hope to win this one. I keep praying for that one,” said the Manchester United winger. He has spent 240 minutes with a close-up view of such occasions, endured the disappointment of two penalty shootouts without being able to influence them.

Read more from Richard Jolly here:

Amad Diallo ‘praying’ for Europa League glory at third time of asking

The winger is hoping the third time will be the charm after failing to feature in two previous European final losses

Flo Clifford21 May 2025 08:28

Ruben Amorim delivers major injury boost for Man United for Europa League final

Ruben Amorim has delivered a triple injury boost for Man United with Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, and Diogo Dalot all poised to make the Europa League final squad.

Both Yoro and Dalot made the training session on the San Mames pitch.

But it is Zirkzee that is the major shock, with his season thought to be over after a hamstring injury suffered at St James’ Park in April, with Amorim even declaring: “He will not play again this season, let's prepare him for the next one.”

Speaking before the game on Wednesday, Amorim added: “They are limited for their minutes in the game but they can help us to win the game.

“They recover quite well, they push. We respect the feelings of the players but push a little bit because they want to be a part of the team.”

Jack Rathborn21 May 2025 08:15

The sinister side of Man United after 20 years of decay from the Glazers

It is rare that a final arrives with such a sense of trepidation, but that is the case as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur fight for the Europa League trophy this week in Bilbao.

Both sides arrive in the Basque Country needing a win just as much for financial and squad-building reasons as they do for morale, and for Manchester United especially it is a stark illustration of how far the club has fallen since the days of regularly challenging for the top honours.

While fans navigate testing travel conditions to even arrive at the San Mames on Wednesday, United are preparing for a ninth major European final while sitting 16th in the league. But the current situation has become a fitting illustration of the decay that began 20 years ago this month, when two decades of neglect, mismanagement and contempt started as the Glazer family took control of the club.

It was in May 2005 that the Glazers purchased a controlling stake in the club, with fan protests having taken place at various points as a full takeover edged closer.

The sinister side of Man United after 20 years of decay from the Glazers

May marks 20 years since the Glazers took ownership of United, though the Europa League final offers moments of light amidst the decay

Jack Rathborn21 May 2025 08:05

Why ‘shambolic’ Tottenham v Manchester United final is entirely by Uefa’s design

While some rival executives have literally been laughing at this “shambolic” Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, elements of it are by their own design.

The two English sides might have found it much more difficult to get to Bilbao had Juventus and Manchester City dropped down from the Champions League in the way those outside the top 16 used to, but this was one of the subjects discussed in the major negotiations between 2019 and 2021 that ultimately led to the Super League crisis.

The wealthiest clubs wanted more guarantees about qualifying for the Champions League, especially if they endured crisis seasons like United and Spurs have. Insiders insist that one reason they consequently removed the drop into the Europa League was specifically to give such clubs a clearer route back to the top.

Read more from Miguel Delaney here.

Jack Rathborn21 May 2025 07:55

As both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur came together in Bilbao, for a rare showpiece that distils so many disparate strands of both clubs' dismal seasons, there was one conspicuous difference between the camps.

Virtually everyone from Spurs said they were here to “change the bad season”, to “change the narrative”, to just “change something”. These comments came from Son Heung Min, Micky van de Ven and Ange Postecoglou.

With United, Ruben Amorim said this final changes nothing. That might be in keeping with the Portuguese’s unexpectedly scathing criticism of his own campaign - to the extent that it almost feels like he goes so severe to give himself cover - but it’s also consistent with the mood in his squad.

Bruno Fernandes spoke matter-of-factly about just winning a trophy. There was obvious discussion about what Champions League qualification would mean, but very little as regards the meaning of lifting the Europa League itself.

That’s because this is just what United do. Even in one of the worst periods of their history, they have won two trophies in two seasons, and are now going for their third.

It is not what Spurs do, at least in the modern era. Even in one of the best periods of their history, which was Mauricio Pochettino’s wildly overachieving spell, they still couldn't get that trophy. It is why victory would genuinely mean so much.

One question that weighs over this final is whether these different cultures are going to contribute to the outcome. It’s hard not to think it would be a much bigger discussion, were it not for the fact that it is just one of many extremes that frame this game.

Rarely has a match been so utterly binary. And that’s in terms of perception, potential analysis and even effect.

In the most basic terms, the winner will have enjoyed a successful season, the lifting of a trophy all that really remains in the memory. The loser will be cast as a total failure, with a final defeat just following on from dire league form.

It has already been revealed on these pages how there has never previously been a European final where both teams have been so low in their domestic leagues. It is genuinely unprecedented. They have both wasted so much money to get here, which is below where the club hierarchies would idealise.

That has in turn ensured this game has created this immense need, where the financial effects of Champions League qualification have become disproportionately important. The Europa League final may consequently form a sliding doors moment for English football, potentially re-energising one of these clubs. That has certainly been the main focus at Old Trafford.

One fair description, at least in relative terms, is that this is one of the worst finals in history.

And yet that may well make it one of the most entertaining. European competition has already inverted the norms of both of their seasons. Where they have been hapless in the Premier League, they have been heroic in Europe.

United have gone from a drab side so easy to pick apart to one that plays with real conviction. The first leg performance against Bilbao was so emphatic. Spurs have gone from a naive team that often collapse, to one that has displayed real canniness. The victory over Eintracht Frankfurt was a tactical masterclass.

There are obvious caveats to all of this, that figures within both clubs are only too keen to point to. One is injuries, and how that gradually left them needing to prioritise Europe over domestic lost causes.

A fair response is that Premier League champions Liverpool have shown how fitness injuries are no longer just blind bad luck. At the same time, this very theme may fittingly influence the game, offering a final coda to the season. United are virtually certain to be without their first-choice defence. Spurs are virtually certain to be without their first-choice midfield. Typically, both have more flaws than usual.

And that feels like it makes a genuinely 50-50 game all the more unpredictable. It's not just how both managers respond to their absences, but how their responses interact with each other.

It’s hard not to feel more focus falls on Postecoglou there, and not just because he is almost certain to leave Spurs at the end of the season. He has already beaten United three times in three different circumstances this season, but also complemented that by being much more willing than Amorim to drastically change his approach in Europe. It has been a striking, and almost surprising, feature of the season.

So, will Postecoglou do the same again? Will he offer that specifically tailored game plan, or will it be a battle of ideologues that may well lead to chaos?

It’s hard not to think the various elements will make this like the 4-3 Carabao Cup game in December rather than any of their other meetings. While that would usually lead to Spurs looking like favourites, fixtures like this can do funny things.

One-country European ties are generally strange enough. One-country finals are even stranger. They can be easily skewed, the atmosphere of the game taking over.

There are then those winning cultures. This might seem intangible esoteric stuff, but the tangible element is how it can influence the psychology of players, and their application.

United players can just see themselves winning. Spurs players are dreaming of it.

That’s why, emotionally, it would mean far more to Tottenham. Financially, or at least in terms of what next, it would mean much more to United.

But is this one other extreme to be skewed by this season, in the same way we have seen so many other droughts already ended this season.

Spurs are taking inspiration from that, and their own preparation going into this final. United are taking inspiration from their culture, and what they do.

All of this comes together at the brilliant San Mames stadium, before going in vastly different directions. It is going to be charged, for a night of extremes.

It is rare that a final arrives with such a sense of trepidation, but that is the case as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur fight for the Europa League trophy this week in Bilbao.

Both sides arrive in the Basque Country needing a win just as much for financial and squad-building reasons as they do for morale, and for Manchester United especially it is a stark illustration of how far the club has fallen since the days of regularly challenging for the top honours.

While fans navigate testing travel conditions to even arrive at the San Mames on Wednesday, United are preparing for a ninth major European final while sitting 16th in the league. But the current situation has become a fitting illustration of the decay that began 20 years ago this month, when two decades of neglect, mismanagement and contempt started as the Glazer family took control of the club.

It was in May 2005 that the Glazers purchased a controlling stake in the club, with fan protests having taken place at various points as a full takeover edged closer.

And the manner of the purchase of the club remains the root cause of fan discontent, with the Glazers using a leveraged buyout to finance the purchase. In short, United’s own assets were used as collateral for the loans used to purchase the club, suddenly saddling it with debts of at least £550m. It was the first time the club had been in the red since 1931.

“It was certainly very radical at the time, using the club’s assets to provide the funding,” says football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

“I don't think it was very well understood, the nature of the takeover,” says Wayne Barton, a United season ticket holder who in recent years has become the pre-eminent historian on the club, having written several books including biographies of George Best and Eric Cantona.

“There was definite doubt, definite caution, definite mistrust,” he says when asked about the general feeling at the time from a fan point of view. “There was never an overwhelming feeling that this was going to be a good thing for United”. And it wasn’t.

“Certainly, in those early years, when the interest rates were very high, 14.25 per cent on the loans, it was taking up a substantial proportion of the club's revenue,” says Maguire.

He reiterates that United have always “had competitive budgets since 2005”, but explains that “the debt has always been an emotional issue as much as anything else”, rather than something that notably affects spending in the present.

“It's symbolic in terms of the lack of progress,” he adds.

Barton is a little more animated, though he backs up that point when he provides a reminder that “any other club in England, if they were saddled with United’s debt, would have gone out of business”.

“The figures are there. If you took the money that's been drained out of United, including the original debt and the interest that's paid on it, if you put that on any other club in English football, they would have gone out of business.”

And the figures are indeed stark. United’s current debt stands at over £1bn overall, with the club having also paid £800m in interest alone since the takeover. In addition, the Glazers themselves have earned over £1bn from the club from share sales and dividends, according to The Athletic.

“They didn't want to invest, fair enough, no one has made them invest and they haven't done. They have never invested a single penny,” says Barton.

But in addition to the financial debt and the concept of the Glazers toying with the financial future of the club, it is the moral debt associated with the Glazers that is rarely mentioned when discussing fan sentiment.

In the 4-1 win over Bilbao in the semi-final second leg earlier this month, fans seated in the rows immediately in front of Sir Jim Ratcliffe stood up to protest being forced out of seats they have held for decades, with the area set to be used as hospitality seating from next season.

It is an issue affecting few fans overall, but it is emblematic of the collapse that has characterised the Glazer ownership – the erosion of the fan experience, and the decay of the relationship between the club and the fans.

While the Glazers revolutionised the process of maximising revenue streams, they have also been pioneers in the slow destruction of the average fan experience.

And this is an issue that is starting to happen everywhere. Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is allegedly involved as a director of a ticket re-sale website that had tickets for last weekend’s match against Manchester United available for £442. Manchester City have brought in a new policy that all season ticket holders must personally attend 10 of the 19 home Premier League matches next season, losing their ticket the next season if they fail to do so. Aston Villa came under fire for ridiculous Champions League ticket prices earlier this season.

It all points to something slightly more sinister, as the ‘legacy fans’ mentioned in the doomed Super League plans are priced out and moved on.

These issues often stem from the simple misunderstanding of clubs, with Barton emphasising that they are “still community assets” with “a romantic element” associated with them.

And it is in this romantic element where the Glazers have repeatedly fallen over. For United fans, it is not so much the concept of billionaire owners that irks them, but rather the perceived disregard for many of the intangibles that made the club what it is today.

“The accusation would be that they [the Glazers] don't respect the history,” says Barton.

“The people who represented an old Manchester United from the late 1980s saw themselves as custodians of what came before. What the club was supposed to stand for, what it was supposed to represent,” he adds, emphasising the roles of Ferguson and former chairman Martin Edwards.

Since Ferguson retired, there has been little in the form of figures to continue acting as these custodians.

The scenes of Crystal Palace at Wembley on Saturday were a timely reminder of the types of things a football club is supposed to represent, from the fans and the community to shared experiences – whether that be weekly routines or once-in-a-lifetime moments.

But for United fans, those scenes will be a reminder that a club that was once just like Palace in terms of values has become a corporate machine, and one that often shows disdain towards its fans, its history and the community that it is supposed to represent.

For the higher-ups in the current iteration of Manchester United look at Saturday’s events hoping to replicate them only because of revenue. They care little if you have 20 years’ worth of memories watching the club every week with a relative who has now passed. Nor do they care if you or your friends are being priced out of going to games or taking your children.

And so Wednesday night serves as both a consolation and a reminder – as seen by Palace, Newcastle and Bologna in recent weeks – that United fans should heed. Win or lose, football is about these kinds of nights, whether this is a first trophy or a 50th, and whatever the state of the club may look like off the pitch.

Wednesday’s game wields two types of importance, one of them discussed in terms of balance sheets in the boardroom. But the other is unquantifiable, contained in the lived experiences of those on the terraces of the San Mames or the pubs of Stretford and Seven Sisters.

It is this type of experience that forms the foundation of why people follow their clubs, whether they’ve lived it dozens of times, experienced it only for the first time last week, or still attend every week in the hope of it one day happening.

For United fans, experiences like Wednesday, or the 5-4 quarter-final win over Lyon, are all “part of the fairytale, part of the romance”, explains Barton.

While the Glazers may be able to effectively take away your season ticket through price rises or restrictions, they cannot take away the individual experiences.

“Everything is attached to that DNA of the club,” adds Barton.

“And they can never own that”.

While some rival executives have literally been laughing at this “shambolic” Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, elements of it are by their own design.

The two English sides might have found it much more difficult to get to Bilbao had Juventus and Manchester City dropped down from the Champions League in the way those outside the top 16 used to, but this was one of the subjects discussed in the major negotiations between 2019 and 2021 that ultimately led to the Super League crisis.

The wealthiest clubs wanted more guarantees about qualifying for the Champions League, especially if they endured crisis seasons like United and Spurs have. Insiders insist that one reason they consequently removed the drop into the Europa League was specifically to give such clubs a clearer route back to the top.

This is now precisely what’s happening, in the first season after the changes. In other words, this is the biggest safety net possible. “It was an insurance policy,” as one prominent source puts it. “They’ve considerably weakened the Europa League.”

It is consequently not an exaggeration to describe this as perhaps the most desperate final in European history. The numbers illustrate it.

There has never been any final, in any of Uefa’s competitions, where both clubs have been so low in their domestic leagues. There’s never even been one when a club has been just above the relegation zone, like Spurs now. West Ham United were 18th when reaching the 1975-76 Cup Winners Cup final but that was in a 24-team league. The image now is even worse in how both finalists sit there, in 16th and 17th in the Premier League. Peering down at the Championship but somehow looking at the Champions League.

It’s certainly a far cry from the 1975-76 Uefa Cup final, when English champions Liverpool faced Belgian champions Brugge, a year before they met again in the European Cup final.

And yet it somehow feels even further from just last year. After that Europa League final in Dublin, when Atalanta beat Bayern Leverkusen in a grand meeting of overachievers who greatly valued the competition, Gian Piero Gasperini stirred emotions with the following.

"Winning with Atalanta is one of those footballing fairytales that rarely crop up. It gives scope for meritocracy: there is still scope for ideas and it doesn't have to come down to cold, hard money.”

This final is the total opposite.

United and Spurs have really only got here because of cold, hard money. They've been facing oppositions with mere fractions of their wage bills. Bodo/Glimt’s was estimated to be less than 1 per cent of Spurs’. Even Athletic's was around 20 per cent of United’s.

Worse than the money the two English clubs spend now is how much they've spent over the last half-decade, to even get to this point, where they somehow need even more money to try and get back to the top. We are talking about billions in Premier League revenue, even in that short a time.

As has been said on these pages before, their respective positions at fourth and ninth on the Deloitte money list mean it shouldn't actually be possible for both United and Spurs to be this bad. They might have switched off in the league, but the lights shouldn't be out altogether. In a world where there is a 90 per cent correlation between wage bill and league position, they are not just the 10% who represent aberrations but the 0.1 per cent almost representing reverse alchemy.

That sheer waste has now created this desperation, that frames this entire game. It actually looks the total opposite of what continental football should be about, let alone to Gasperini’s thoughts about “meritocracy”.

Such talk also brings another dimension, that represents a more troubling development in football. It is the extent of the game’s “financialisation”. So much is now put in terms of money; what it might mean for what next rather than just the moment. That’s exactly why Crystal Palace's FA Cup victory felt so joyfully pure.

It shouldn’t be overlooked that Spurs would value this Europa League in a comparable way, especially given all the frustration at how they haven’t won anything since 2008. Manchester United fans naturally relish the glory of still consistently winning trophies despite their trouble, and it would clearly be psychologically important for Ruben Amorim’s era. As long as it might last.

United have still won this competition as recently as 2017, though, and the dysfunction since means this is really all about the resources. It similarly can’t be overlooked that Spurs are a club where the message about Champions League finances was so deep that former manager Mauricio Pochettino became strikingly open about how he was greatly prioritising the Premier League over any cups.

Such priorities have only been deepened in the PSR era. So much of this still comes down to the potential £100m from Champions League qualification. The latter was of course only included because Uefa needed to make the competition more attractive for the most commercially powerful clubs. The grand old Uefa Cup trophy apparently wasn't enough any more.

Chris Hughton, who was the right-back for Spurs’ last Uefa Cup win in 1983-84, can’t help but remark on the difference.

“Back then, there wasn’t even a thought about money. There would have been bonuses, sure, but it was solely about the glory of it; of winning a European trophy.”

The financial gaps of the time were too small. Now, they’re immense, to the point the Europa League final is arguably the most pronounced illustration of this “financalisation” of the sport. It has probably gone beyond the Championship play-off as “the richest game in football", given the gaps in England, as well as the importance attached to the Champions League.

It is football as financial instrument, to the point that clubs now decide not to buy in January because they are looking at things in terms of differences in potential prize money rather than season ambition.

There is likely even further effect on the actual play.

Throughout this season, United’s run has seemed to show how European atmospheres can still cause teams to emotionally raise it in vintage fashion. But has that actually happened? Is it possible that United and Spurs have just played a series of clubs well below Premier League level, as illustrated in the wage gaps?

Bruno Fernandes recently revealed that Amorim expressed surprise at how competitive Ipswich Town were in his first game. The Europa League may have been well below that.

Many in Europe will respond to that by pointing to how there are again no English side in the Champions League final, but that is a competition that features most of the super clubs. Many of them utterly dominate their domestic leagues. That is just this same problem extended.

Instead, the Europa League might well display deeper strength. That is a problem for Uefa, especially with how many English clubs are going to be in Europe next season.

It may also be profoundly influential for the Premier League. This match could represent a sliding doors moment. If United win, the income could help propel them back towards the top, after so much waste. If they don’t, there could be ructions.

There are such immense stakes. It also has a considerable irony. So much comes down to the unpredictability of one football match, and that is entirely by design.

It is the eve of Tottenham Hotspur’s biggest game in six years, and one of the biggest in their history, but you wouldn’t have necessarily thought that from the discussion that dominated the pre-match duties. One scene immediately attracted everyone's attention. There was tension and consequently some theatre.

It lamentably had nothing to do with the actual football, although it has an awful lot to do with one of the stories framing this final: Ange Postecoglou's future and his general approach.

The Spurs manager chose the stage to upbraid a journalist over the use of the word “clown" in an article.

The exact wording was: “Postecoglou is therefore in a strange position, teetering between hero and clown.” It was some way down the article, although admittedly blown up by the headline.

Postecoglou’s response, for posterity, was the following:

“Irrespective of tomorrow, I'm not a clown and never will be.

“You really disappointed me that you used such terminology to describe a person that for 26 years, without any favours from anyone, has worked his way to a position where he is leading out a club in a European final.

“For you to suggest that somehow us not being successful means that I'm a clown, I'm not sure how to answer that question.”

Now the point of this piece - in what feels quite a meta moment - isn't to legislate a colleague's writing. These pages wouldn't have used "clown" like that, although that is beside the point.

Media will doubtless get accused of closed ranks, but it is admittedly difficult to discuss those who work alongside you because your view is compromised and - crucially - it's not our job. The job is to discuss the football.

Postecoglou has made a media issue relevant to that.

At the very least, it just seems misguided to make a game of such scale about something so petty. None of that is to say Postecoglou shouldn't take umbrage with the description. He’s absolutely entitled to do that.

But if he wants to, why not do it separately, rather than on a stage that should be about much grander elements?

It's obvious it's going to be picked up on. Even as football journalists, no one from outside the industry was messaging us asking about Postecoglou’s team news quotes, or even those about his own future.

They wanted to know about the moment of tension. Audiences are virtually certain to be much more interested in articles about this than any of the other quotes.

That seems so unnecessary, when this entire occasion should be about something much more.

And there is a genuine football point, or at least a point related to the trajectory and status of managers.

An instructive story is occasionally told about one of Postecoglou's most prominent predecessors. When Jose Mourinho was at the top of his game, which lasted close to a decade, he didn't care what anyone said about him. His record spoke for itself.

When his performance level started to decline, according to those who worked closely with him, he began to read absolutely everything.

In other words, the best managers just concentrate on the job. Everything else will take care of itself. It is mental energy they shouldn’t need to bother with.

It might feel like a two-way element here in how media can criticise them but they can't say anything back, but it’s not about that. It’s more about why would they even bother to say anything back?

They can have a media strategy to try and shape their own narrative, sure, but they shouldn't actually care about what the media say. Some spend enough time telling us we don't have a clue, or bristle at tactical questions.

Worse, many decision-making executives often see this as a sign of a manager’s loss of focus. It is understood to be one of the reasons why Chelsea ultimately acted on Frank Lampard in January 2021.

There is also an extra element with Postecoglou.

He has often given the impression that he is above the Premier League’s various absurdities, usually in quite an amusing - and initially endearing - manner. Following on from that is at least the projection that he doesn’t care what the media write.

And yet here he is, clearly reading an awful lot, in a way that just doesn't feel like it serves the club.

People might say it feels like "siege mentality”. But it doesn’t feel that grand.

It also feeds into another general football truth.

You can say whatever you want when you win. Those who win generally don't care what is said.

And this plays into the bind that Postecoglou finds himself in, where it is almost extreme to extreme.

If he loses, it's hard not to see the coverage, and the potential memes. He has invited mock-ups about clowns. The very line is reminiscent of David Brent saying “I'm not a plonker”.

If he wins, he can go on the mother of all victory laps.

Except, it is seen as virtually certain that he will lose his job because Spurs haven't displayed the same performance in the Premier League.

As Postecoglou indicated himself, a final like this should be about much more.

It is the eve of Tottenham Hotspur’s biggest game in six years, and one of the biggest in their history, but you wouldn’t have necessarily thought that from the discussion that dominated the pre-match duties. One scene immediately attracted everyone's attention. There was tension and consequently some theatre.

It lamentably had nothing to do with the actual football, although it has an awful lot to do with one of the stories framing this final: Ange Postecoglou's future and his general approach.

The Spurs manager chose the stage to upbraid a journalist over the use of the word “clown" in an article.

The exact wording was: “Postecoglou is therefore in a strange position, teetering between hero and clown.” It was some way down the article, although admittedly blown up by the headline.

Postecoglou’s response, for posterity, was the following:

“Irrespective of tomorrow, I'm not a clown and never will be.

“You really disappointed me that you used such terminology to describe a person that for 26 years, without any favours from anyone, has worked his way to a position where he is leading out a club in a European final.

“For you to suggest that somehow us not being successful means that I'm a clown, I'm not sure how to answer that question.”

Now the point of this piece - in what feels quite a meta moment - isn't to legislate a colleague's writing. These pages wouldn't have used "clown" like that, although that is beside the point.

Media will doubtless get accused of closed ranks, but it is admittedly difficult to discuss those who work alongside you because your view is compromised and - crucially - it's not our job. The job is to discuss the football.

Postecoglou has made a media issue relevant to that.

At the very least, it just seems misguided to make a game of such scale about something so petty. None of that is to say Postecoglou shouldn't take umbrage with the description. He’s absolutely entitled to do that.

But if he wants to, why not do it separately, rather than on a stage that should be about much grander elements?

It's obvious it's going to be picked up on. Even as football journalists, no one from outside the industry was messaging us asking about Postecoglou’s team news quotes, or even those about his own future.

They wanted to know about the moment of tension. Audiences are virtually certain to be much more interested in articles about this than any of the other quotes.

That seems so unnecessary, when this entire occasion should be about something much more.

And there is a genuine football point, or at least a point related to the trajectory and status of managers.

An instructive story is occasionally told about one of Postecoglou's most prominent predecessors. When Jose Mourinho was at the top of his game, which lasted close to a decade, he didn't care what anyone said about him. His record spoke for itself.

When his performance level started to decline, according to those who worked closely with him, he began to read absolutely everything.

In other words, the best managers just concentrate on the job. Everything else will take care of itself. It is mental energy they shouldn’t need to bother with.

It might feel like a two-way element here in how media can criticise them but they can't say anything back, but it’s not about that. It’s more about why would they even bother to say anything back?

They can have a media strategy to try and shape their own narrative, sure, but they shouldn't actually care about what the media say. Some spend enough time telling us we don't have a clue, or bristle at tactical questions.

Worse, many decision-making executives often see this as a sign of a manager’s loss of focus. It is understood to be one of the reasons why Chelsea ultimately acted on Frank Lampard in January 2021.

There is also an extra element with Postecoglou.

He has often given the impression that he is above the Premier League’s various absurdities, usually in quite an amusing - and initially endearing - manner. Following on from that is at least the projection that he doesn’t care what the media write.

And yet here he is, clearly reading an awful lot, in a way that just doesn't feel like it serves the club.

People might say it feels like "siege mentality”. But it doesn’t feel that grand.

It also feeds into another general football truth.

You can say whatever you want when you win. Those who win generally don't care what is said.

And this plays into the bind that Postecoglou finds himself in, where it is almost extreme to extreme.

If he loses, it's hard not to see the coverage, and the potential memes. He has invited mock-ups about clowns. The very line is reminiscent of David Brent saying “I'm not a plonker”.

If he wins, he can go on the mother of all victory laps.

Except, it is seen as virtually certain that he will lose his job because Spurs haven't displayed the same performance in the Premier League.

As Postecoglou indicated himself, a final like this should be about much more.