Daily Mail

Manchester United's stars are en route to Bilbao for the Europa League final and looked like they meant business as they boarded the plane on Tuesday afternoon.

Ruben Amorim's men were seen arriving at Manchester Airport ahead of their season-defining clash with Tottenham.

Joshua Zirkzee shared a snap from his plane seat alongside captain Bruno Fernandes with an insightful one-word message for fans: 'Bilbao'.

The Dutchman is one of three stars who handed United a boost in the morning by training along with Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot.

All three had been fitness doubts but they have been included in Amorim's travelling squad for a game which could be worth more than £100million to the victors.

Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez are the only two first-team stars to miss out through injury, while youngster Chido Obi is ineligible.

United and Spurs have the chance to salvage their seasons with silverware despite woeful domestic campaigns.

Their divisional placements of 16th and 17th combine to make this the worst Europa League final in history in terms of league position.

Around 80,000 fans are also expected to make the journey out to Bilbao, though the clubs have been allocated just 15,000 tickets each.

Not every supporter will be travelling and staying with the same luxury and ease afforded to the players, though.

Mail Sport reported on Monday how some fans were having to take three-day odysseys, including by personal boat and campervan.

Thousands of police and private security staff will be on duty at the final where three safety rings are being established around the San Mames stadium to separate fans and prevent any incidents.

Officials have warned that supporters without tickets will not get anywhere near the stadium following chaotic scenes at the 2022 Champions League final in Paris between Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Many genuine ticket holders were unable to enter while Uefa was also slammed for its organising of the event.

Ahead of Wednesday’s match, Uefa warned Tottenham and Manchester United fans that tickets purchased from touts or third party websites would be cancelled.

European football’s governing body said in a statement: ‘In view of the upcoming UEFA club competition finals, UEFA warns fans not to purchase tickets on the secondary market, from unauthorised third parties, websites, agencies or from touts.

‘Such tickets may be cancelled by UEFA at any time and fans are likely to be refused entry or be ejected from the stadium. In addition, fans may not receive the tickets which they have purchased from these unauthorised third parties.’

Amorim has been handed a boost in the form of his three returning stars: Zirkzee, Yoro, and Dalot.

Dalot has been absent since United's defeat by Wolves last month after picking up a calf injury.

The appearance of Zirkzee is the most surprising given the Dutch international had been ruled out for the season by Amorim after hobbling off during United's 4-1 defeat by Newcastle last month with a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Yoro was forced off with a foot injury during United's 2-0 defeat by West Ham at Old Trafford on May 11.

This significantly threatened his participation on Wednesday given he missed more than four months of action earlier this season when he suffered a similar setback in pre-season.

The Frenchman, who joined United from Lille for £52million last summer, subsequently missed the defeat by Chelsea last Friday.

'He had that problem at the beginning of the season,' Amorim had explained about Yoro's latest fitness issue.

'We hope it's not too serious. I don't want to say too much, but maybe it's not a big deal.'

It remains to be seen just what shape the trio are in, but if they are sufficiently fit, Yoro and Dalot would likely start in Amorim's strongest XI, while Zirkzee is expected to be an option off the bench.

Paddy Power have delivered a fake trophy to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Their cheeky dig comes just hours before Spurs play in the Europa League final

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Should Oliver Glasner leave Palace for Spurs?

Paddy Power have poked fun at Tottenham by delivering a fake trophy cabinet to their stadium ahead of the team's Europa League final against Manchester United.

Spurs will look to end their 17-year wait for silverware in Wednesday's final, having consistently fallen short of winning trophies in recent years.

Tottenham agonisingly missing out in the latter stages of competitions has become a running joke among rival fanbases, and now Paddy Power have got in on the act.

In the advert released on social media, the Paddy Power spokesman announced: 'In preparation for their Europa League final, Tottenham Hotspur have received delivery of a trophy cabinet, in case they actually win the thing.'

One of the supposed deliverymen then sticks the boot in by adding: 'We've designed this trophy cabinet especially for the club. It can take a maximum of one trophy, so we think that makes it futureproof.'

Much of the blame of Spurs' shortcomings has been placed at the feet of chairman Daniel Levy, with fans calling for him to pump more investment into the club or leave.

Paddy Power used this to make another dig at Spurs and Levy, with a second deliveryman joking: 'Well, Daniel Levy has kept the receipt so even if they do lose we'll just refund it and wheel it straight out of there. No harm done.'

Since winning their last trophy - the 2008 League Cup - Spurs have lost three finals.

They were beaten in the League Cup final by Chelsea in 2015 and Manchester City in 2021, while they also came off second best against Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final.

However, there are reasons for Spurs fans to be optimistic that they can win on Wednesday and have the final laugh.

Ange Postecoglou has declared that he 'always' wins silverware in his second season, and he is just one game away from delivering on his promise.

Meanwhile, Spurs also have a very strong recent record against United.

They have not lost to the Red Devils since 2022, and have won all three of their meetings this season.

Re-live Mail Sport's live blog as our experts answered all of your burning questions ahead of the 2025 Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United.

© Associated Newspapers Ltd

Both Man United and Spurs have had hugely underwhelming domestic seasons

But both teams will do battle to see who claims a spot in the Champions League

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Why Liverpool fans must not let Trent Alexander-Arnold row spoil their title party

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have had hugely underwhelming domestic campaigns in 2024-25, with the two sides sitting in 16th and 17th place in the Premier League table respectively.

However, both Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou have a shot at redemption in the Europa League, where their two teams will meet to do battle for an all-important spot in next season's Champions League.

With only one of the Red Devils or the Lilywhites being able to secure a return to elite European competition, the stakes will be even higher come the showpiece event in Bilbao on Wednesday night.

Ahead of the game, a supercomputer has predicted which side will come out on top in the contest.

The winner was generated by simulating the entire competition 1,000 times.

For each simulation, the code recorded where each team finished in the table and their likelihood of winning the trophy after each stage.

The results were then converted into percentages, showing the probability of each team finishing in each position in the league.

For the Europa League final showpiece at San Mames, AceOdds backed Tottenham to win 3-2 and lift a trophy for the first time since 2008.

Postecoglou has had to deal with a number of injury concerns ahead of the blockbuster encounter.

Dejan Kulusevski was forced off in the first half of their game against Crystal Palace on May 11, while Son-Heung Min has been absent in recent weeks with an ankle issue.

They will also be without Radu Dragusin, who ruptured his ACL in February and has been a long-term absentee for some time.

Meanwhile, James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall are two of Spurs' midfield weapons that are set to miss the rest of the season.

United are having to contend with similar fitness concerns regarding the availability of their own players.

Leny Yoro limped off against United's recent loss to West Ham at Old Trafford, with the centre-back having to replaced by Harry Maguire.

The French footballer was not involved in Wednesday morning's open training session and missed the Red Devils trip to Stamford Bridge.

However, Ruben Amorim is optimistic that it's not a serious injury after his side's torrid Premier League form continues.

'He had that problem at the beg of the season. We hope it's not too serious. I don't want to say too much but maybe it's not a big deal,' the United boss told Sky Sports.

Man United and Spurs fans are making their way to Bilbao for Wednesday's final

Many are using alcohol to settle their nerves ahead of the big occasion

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Should Oliver Glasner leave Palace for Spurs?

Tens of thousands of Manchester United and Tottenham fans have set off on their journeys to Bilbao ahead of the Europa League final between the two English clubs.

As many as 80,000 United and Spurs supporters are expected in Bilbao for Wednesday night's final, with Spanish outlet El Correo suggesting locals are braced for the Brits to 'colonise' the Basque city.

Getting to Bilbao has proved to be an extremely challenging task for fans amid soaring prices for flights, accommodation and matchday tickets.

But that has not stopped some being willing to take obscure routes across the continent to see their team's bid for European glory.

United fan and YouTuber Flex charted his journey on X on Tuesday morning, and he started off by taking a plane to Prague.

'Road to Bilbao has began! he posted. '1st stop Prague lol!

'Bring this trophy back & Champions League money to rebuild this squad! YANITED!!!'

After touching down in the Czech capital, Flex gave another update, writing: 'Plane number 2! Madrid bound.'

That would at least put him in the right country, before a final trip to Bilbao to complete his quest.

Meanwhile, a group of Spurs supporters decided that heading to Paris first was the best route, as they wrote on X: 'In France, next stop Bilbao.'

Three of the fans were seen clutching a beer as they looked to get into the spirit ahead of what promises to be an exciting but nervy evening for both clubs.

One female United fan had the same idea for settling the nerves as she posted a photo of herself clutching two pints of Madri at the airport alongside the caption: 'See you in Bilbao'.

United won the Europa League back in 2017, and some of their supporters appear confident of creating more unforgettable memories on Wednesday.

One supporter posted a photo of him and his son holding a bottle of cider on a plane as he wrote: 'Name something better than going to a European final with your son. First one for the lad too!!!'

Another group of three United fans posed with a flag after stopping off in a different Spanish city as they captioned their post: 'Bilbao via Seville'.

It has been a difficult season for United after major changes behind the scenes, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos taking over the day-to-day running of the club from the Glazers.

One set of supporters made it clear they were not convinced by either Ratcliffe or the Glazers as they held up a flag that read: 'Glazers out, Ratcliffe out' while standing next to their plane.

With airfares rising by the minute, some supporters have taken the decision to drive to Bilbao.

A Spurs fan account gave an update on their progress, writing on X: 'Bilbao Bound. An 8.5 hour drive from Lisbon. COYS!'

United and Spurs have both endured miserable Premier League campaigns, and currently sit 16th and 17th respectively in the table.

But they are just one game away from Europa League glory, with Wednesday's match having an estimated £100m on the line.

The winners will earn a place in next season's Champions League, and could improve their chances of landing their top transfer targets this summer.

However, the losers will face a season without European football, and will likely have to cope with a restricted budget for the upcoming transfer window.

Rio Ferdinand has highlighted one specific worry he has for Man United in the Europa League final against Tottenham.

United will take on Spurs in Bilbao on Wednesday night in the showpiece event as Ruben Amorim's side aim to rescue what has been a dismal season.

Things haven't been much better for Tottenham, with the North London club one place below United in 17th in the Premier League after 21 defeats in 37 games.

The winner of the clash will secure a spot in next season's Champions League, meaning it could prove to be a real sliding doors moment for both clubs.

However, Ferdinand has expressed his concerns over United's physical inferiority and believes this weakness could be exposed against Premier League opposition.

‘The worrying thing for me from a Man United perspective is that physically we can’t keep up with any team in the Premier League,' he told talkSPORT.

‘If they go man-to-man and go toe-to-toe with us we’re at a disadvantage because our profile of our players at Man United are not players that can run as hard and as fast, and as long, and they’re not as powerful as other teams.

‘That’s a big thing in the Premier League. In the Europa, we’re overpowering every team.

'There’s only one team I’ve watched us play against in the Europa League that we struggled against and thought “Ooh, that was a bit too close for comfort.” Rangers, who are more akin to a Premier League side, physically.

‘So that’s the concern for me in the final playing against a Premier League team, who have beaten us three times, that physically can, minimum, match us.’

Despite Ferdinand's concerns, Amorim's side remain unbeaten in Europe and they have knocked out Real Sociedad, Lyon and Athletic Bilbao en route to the final.

However, as Ferdinand alludes to, United have been beaten by Spurs three times in the league this season and they have lost 18 of their 37 top flight fixtures.

And given the fluctuations in their performances, Ferdinand admitted that he is unsure which version of United will turn up in Bilbao.

‘I have to be honest, I can’t call a Man United result,' he told Optus Sport. 'They’re so inconsistent or they have consistently been bad in the Premier League.'

‘But the fact that they are playing against Spurs, another consistently bad team in the Premier League. But they have players who can win a match. It makes it such a hard game to call.

‘I don’t think the fans can be too surprised (if Spurs win). They beat us three times already this season, so it’s not going to be a surprise if they beat us a fourth time.

‘I think it’s only going to be stupid people that are going, “Oh my god, I can’t believe this.”

‘We’re 16th because we’ve lost a lot of games. 18 Premier League games we’ve lost this season. Anyone who’s surprised if we don’t win this game against Spurs is a lunatic in my eyes.’

Manchester United and Tottenham fans have started a series of epic journeys to get to Bilbao for the Europa League final on Wednesday night.

The prohibitive flight and hotel prices mean supporters have taken travel arrangements into their own hands, with boats and campervans being dusted off for the adventure.

Around 47,000 fans are expected to make the journey, with each club being allocated 15,000 tickets for the night at San Mames. The spare 17,000 - 15,000 of which are Spurs fans - will be going along ticketless.

Exteberria Park, around 45 minutes on foot from the ground, is being converted into a gigantic Manchester United fan zone with 56,000 pints of lager being imported, according to local outlet El Correo.

And fans have been sharing their odysseys - across road, sea, and sky - in what has become a thriving niche online community.

One seafaring chap posted a picture of a boat in a canal on Sunday morning, writing: 'En-Route to Bilbao. Over bay of Biscay, should arrive Tuesday night.'

A three-day journey, then. On Monday morning, the supporter gave an update with a video from the Bay of Biscay, claiming there was 'better phone signal on the moon'.

'One hundred per cent you're sinking in that,' warned one follower on X.

'Daft lad,' Josh hit back. 'We’ve had this boat in the Med for the last 10+ years, this boat has seen it all.'

Another United fan kitted out his Ford campervan with club memorabilia just to get on the nerves of a Tottenham fan he was picking up.

'There will probably be some fights along the way on this trip, but we'll see how we get on,' he joked.

It hasn't all been fall-outs, though - in one clip, the pair clinked a couple of bottles of Corona and looked out over a beach vista as they prepared sandwiches.

Elsewhere, fans explained the circuitous routes they would be taking by plane to get to northern Spain.

One would be flying to Rome, then Santander, before a coach journey traversing the top of Spain. The way back will involve a flight out of the continent to Marrakesh in Morocco.

'They'll kill me one day, up the Spurs,' came their can-do attitude.

Others will take in journeys via Venice, Amsterdam, and Milan.

One fan joked they might take a llama across the Pyrenees.

Manchester United and Tottenham will meet in the Europa League final on Wednesday night.

Despite their woeful domestic form, they find themselves in the position to win a golden ticket to the Champions League.

With the clubs sat 16th and 17th in the Premier League, this will be the worst final in terms of table position in the competitions history.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering Ajax manager Francesco Farioli as a potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou.

Farioli, 36, took charge of the Dutch side at the start of this season having previously managed French side Nice and Turkish team Alanyaspor.

According to The Sun, he is thought to be one of the potential successors to Postecoglou, whose job is said to be in danger whether or not Spurs win the Europa League.

While the Italian manager is highly-regarded thanks to the job he has done in Amsterdam this season, he had to deal with heartbreak on the final day of the Eredivisie campaign on Sunday.

Having led the Dutch league comfortably by nine points with seven games to go, Ajax stumbled badly in the run-in to allow rivals PSV to pip them to the title.

However, Farioli is still thought to be admired by his fellow Italian Fabio Paratici, who could return to the north London side following his ban from the sport.

Paratici, 56, was the Lilywhites' managing director of football between 2021 and 2023 before he was banned for actions relating to financial malpractice while he was at Serie A giants Juventus.

That saw him kept away from the sport in a worldwide ban imposed by the Italian FA and later extended globally by FIFA for false accounting.

While Spurs do have a chance at securing a first trophy since the 2008 League Cup, their league form under Postecoglou has been wretched.

Following Friday night's 2-0 loss to Aston Villa, they sit 17th in the Premier League with just 38 points from 37 games.

Given that they lie just one place below their Europa League final opponents Manchester United, the showdown in Bilbao takes on extra significance, with the winner securing automatic entry to next season's Champions League.

In the lead-up to the final, Postecoglou has challenged his players to break the team's trophy drought by performing at their best when it matters most.

He said: 'Until you actually do it, then you are fair game for people to say ''you've always kind of fluffed it on the big stage'' and what you've got to try and do is break that cycle.

'There has to be a higher purpose than shutting people's mouths up. I think it is more about ''can you make an impact?'''

'I often say to the players that at the end of your careers, what you want to be able to do is go back to the clubs you served and know you've made an impact.'

The winner-takes-all final will be played at Athletic Club's San Mames stadium on Wednesday, May 21.

Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates from the two Friday night Premier League games of Chelsea vs Manchester United and Aston Villa vs Tottenham.

© Associated Newspapers Ltd

Manchester United and Tottenham fans have compared a £550 hostel room to Squid Game's dormitory as they struggle to find accommodation amid an extortionate price surge ahead of their Europa League final clash.

Bilbao is expecting 80,000 supporters to descend on the Spanish city with residents braced for an invasion on a scale they have 'never faced' before, according to reports in Spain.

Fans will be forced to fork out thousands of pounds or face sleeping on the streets because of high accommodation costs.

Prices have shot up 900% after the all English tie was confirmed, with fans clamouring to see their teams seize a place in next season's Champions League.

The cheapest apartment still available on Booking.com is a costly £1,030 for just a two night stay, with the most expensive a staggering £13,520.

While one comparatively cut price option would involve staying at the Bilbao Metropolitan Hostel, labelled 'Squid Game' accommodation by fans, for £551.

'Sleeping in Squid Game for 2k,' one Man United fan wrote on X, after seeing the cost of a three night stay.

Even those opting for a budget stay in a 10-bed shared hostel at the All Iron Hostel will have to stump up £226 for two nights.

One three-star hotel, the Hotel Ilunion Bilbao, a 10-minute walk from the San Mames stadium has no availabilty but priced its cheapest room at £2,444 a night.

The astronomical prices mean some supporters will take to staying in cars or vans as they scramble to the Basque city.

While others are even considering sleeping rough on the streets, according to El Correo.

The bad news for fans doesn't end there and they have been warned they will face sky-high beer prices having already splashed on expensive travel costs.

Last Friday, MailSport reported the cheapest flight to get from London to Bilbao on May 21 would run Spurs fans a whopping £355 for a one-way ticket.

At the time of writing, a return flight leaving London Gatwick on May 21 and returning on May 22 starts at £668, as per Skyscanner.

And local vendors are expected to exploit the explosion of visitors and raise prices.

However, Basque Consumers and Users Organization delegate Kepa Loizaga has criticised the practice that has seen prices balloon '7, 8, and even 9 times'.

Loizaga urged bars and restaurants to 'not sell pints of beer for 10 euros' as was the case during the European rugby cup finals in 2018.

Additionally, he hit out at the 'disproportionate and exorbitant' pricing policy carried out by many of Bilbao hoteliers and also issued a warning to the city about the image it is projecting to the world.

'We already know that almost all businesses operate according to supply and demand, both flights and accommodations,' he told Bilbao outlet El Correo. 'There are no limits on increases or decreases. Everyone sells their product as they wish.'

He added: 'What we are conveying to the rest of the world is very negative.

Spurs fans are expected to outnumber United supporters with thousands travelling ticketless.

While both clubs have been allocated 15,000 for San Mamés, it is believed the same number of ticketless Spurs fans will travel to Bilbao, compared to around 2,000 followers of United in a similar position.

Although Spurs reached the Champions League final, their comparative lack of European success is thought to be behind the greater numbers.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Before 2019, their last appearance at a European final came in 1984.

United last reached the Europa League final in 2021, and won it in 2017.

Tottenham employees will be among their travelling crowd, after the north London club offered a complimentary ticket to every full-time employee.

While no such luxury was provided by United, who instead held a ballot with a small number of tickets available for their staff.

For the majority, they are hosting a screening in Manchester with the invite open to plus-ones.

Manager Ruben Amorim even ended up paying for 30 of his backroom staff and their families to attend the final after they missed out on complimentary tickets.

The two Premier League sides booked their spots in the final following impressive wins against Athletic Bilbao and Bodo/Glimt respectively, and will look to salvage their seasons at San Mames after hugely disappointing league showings.