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David Moyes breaks silence on Richarlison move after Spurs striker is linked with stunning return to Everton

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David Moyes breaks silence on Richarlison move after Spurs striker is linked with stunning return to Everton - Daily Mail
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David Moyes has strongly denied any suggestions that he is keen on bringing Richarlison back to Everton this summer.

The 27-year-old spent four years at Goodison Park, scoring 53 goals in 152 games, before moving to Tottenham Hotspur for £60million in 2022.

The Brazil international has been linked with a return to the Toffees, with reports indicating Moyes was interested in the forward, who has two years left on his contract.

But Moyes, who is in his second stint at the club, ruled out a return for Richarlison.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Everton's trip to Craven Cottage, the 62-year-old said: 'Richarlison is a really good player and someone I've liked.

'But I can only tell you there is zero truth in that from my side.'

Everton face a busy summer ahead of their first season at their new stadium in Bramley-Moore Dock.

There will be 15 players, including loanees, who are out of contract at the end of June.

Midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, who has been at Everton since 2020, is one player who could leave.

He revealed there had been 'no talks' over a new deal earlier this week.

The 32-year-old Mali international said he would not take a pay cut as he believed he deserved an improved offer.

Moyes said: 'Some of the games he's played very well but he is obviously no spring chicken, so we have to make sure we have other replacements when required.

'We are making lots of decisions behind the scenes. It is good to have so many [players] that want to stay.'

Everton currently sit in 14th, above Europa League finalists Manchester United and Spurs, in the Premier League with just three games remaining.

Their form has dramatically improved since Moyes returned to the club, replacing Sean Dyche in January.

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Injured James Maddison admits he's 'gutted' that he will miss the Europa League final after Tottenham set up showdown with Man United

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Injured James Maddison admits he's 'gutted' that he will miss the Europa League final after Tottenham set up s - Daily Mail
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Tottenham star James Maddison has expressed his frustration at missing the Europa League final due to injury.

Ange Postecoglou's side secured their place in the final on Thursday night as they won 2-0 away to Bodo/Glimt to give them a 5-1 victory on aggregate.

Tottenham will take on Manchester United in an eagerly-anticipated all-English final in Bilbao on May 21.

However, Maddison will not be able to feature as he has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Maddison sustained the problem during the first leg against Bodo/Glimt - a game in which he scored.

The 28-year-old was absent for the second leg and will now miss the final.

Although he admitted that the situation 'is really tough to take', Maddison outlined his belief that Tottenham can prevail and secure their first silverware since 2008.

Maddison wrote on X: 'Gutted. Just absolutely gutted. We’ve had our sights on that European final in Bilbao from day one of this campaign. So to accept not being able to take part out on that pitch with the boys is really tough to take.

'Injuries are just part of this game that can be so cruel at times. But I truly believe that it can be a special night for my football club. Bring on the 21st. All together.'

Maddison has played a significant part in Tottenham's run to the Europa League final, contributing with three goals and four assists in eleven matches.

As well as Maddison, Tottenham will also be without Radu Dragusin and Lucas Bergvall against United.

Son Heung-min could feature when Tottenham return to league action on Sunday with a home game against Crystal Palace.

It has been a challenging season in the league for Tottenham, with Postecoglou's team in 16th place in the table.

However, success in the Europa League would provide the club with a significant boost.

In the knockout stages of the competition, Tottenham managed to overcome AZ Alkmaar and Eintracht Frankfurt prior to triumphing against Bodo/Glimt.

Maddison has previously won the FA Cup and the Community Shield with Leicester but will hope that Tottenham can overcome United to secure the first European trophy of his career.

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UEFA make decision on Man United and Tottenham's Europa League final amid calls for game to be MOVED from Bilbao as tens of thousands of fans plan to flood to Spain for just 53,000 tickets

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UEFA make decision on Man United and Tottenham's Europa League final amid calls for game to be MOVED from Bilb - Daily Mail
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UEFA have come to a decision over where the Europa League final will be played this summer between Manchester United and Tottenham.

Both Premier League sides booked their tickets on Thursday night, seeing out second leg victories after strong performances in their first legs, despite their inconsistent league form.

United saw off Athletic Club 7-1 on aggregate, following up last week's 3-0 win with a 4-1 triumph at Old Trafford, having gone a goal behind.

Meanwhile, Tottenham traveled to the Arctic Circle to beat Bodo/Glimt 2-0 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate.

The match was originally slated to take place at San Mames in Bilbao, which can only hold a maximum of 53,289 fans, though both clubs will likely demand far more, which had led to calls for the game to be moved.

However, there was no chance of a change of venue after the ground was awarded the match back in 2021, and it will proceed to take place in the Basque city.

English teams have met in European finals before without the game being moved, for example Man City and Chelsea in 2021 and Liverpool and Tottenham in 2019.

It isn't even the first in the Europa League, with Arsenal taking on Chelsea in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, back in 2019.

In total, there have been seven finals competed between teams from the same division in the last 15 years alone in Europe, none of which have been moved.

Both sets of fans will be provided with 15,000 tickets, while a further 11,000 will go on general sale.

As part of Uefa's 'fans first' scheme, the tickets awarded to each teams' fanbase are the most affordable, with prices starting at €40 (£34), while those for the general public range from €65 to 240 (£55 to £204).

The remaining 12,000 seats will be offered to sponsors and hospitality guests for the highly-anticipated clash.

As of 8am BST on Friday, the cheapest flight to get from London to Bilbao on May 21 would run Spurs fans a whopping £355 for a one-way ticket, according to SkyScanner.

To fly back from Bilbao to the English capital the next day, the cheapest flight costs £175, departing at 7:40am with a stop at the Canary Islands along the way.

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For the luxury of a direct afternoon flight home, fans can expect to pay over £500, with less than a dozen of these tickets still available online.

Meanwhile, United fans would have to cough up even more. From Manchester to Bilbao, the cheapest plane ticket on May 21 (that arrives two or more hours before kick-off) costs £524, with a stop in Munich, Germany, on the way.

To return from Bilbao, the cheapest flight on May 22 costs £446, departing at around mid-day with a stop in Lisbon, Portugal, on the way. Direct flights back to Manchester are currently going for a mind-boggling £941 at the lowest.

Shrewd opportunists who might look to get a cheaper deal by flying out the eve of the game are met with disappointment, as this would cost even more than flying on the day - from both Manchester and London.

A more price-friendly option would be to travel by coach; a journey from London Victoria Coach Station to Bilbao would take around 26 hours and costs around £108 one way, leaving at 12:30pm the day before the game, as per Trainline.com.

As it stands, there are no coach tickets available directly from Manchester to Bilbao, meaning United fans would have to make the trip down to London if they opted for this mode of transport.

Anyone looking to make their own ways to Bilbao by driving would still face hundreds in travel costs.

Journeying through the Channel Tunnel will cost just under £200, with petrol and a potential overnight hotel stay adding to the total expense. Hotel prices in the city centre range anywhere between £850 and £13,345.

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Ruben Amorim reveals his plans for squad rotation as Man United start preparing for the Europa League final against Tottenham

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Ruben Amorim reveals his plans for squad rotation as Man United start preparing for the Europa League final ag - Daily Mail
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Manchester United face West Ham and Chelsea prior to the Europa League final

Ruben Amorim is not on board with the idea of resting all of his star players now

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Are Arsenal even close to achieving big things?

Ruben Amorim has no plans to wrap his Manchester United stars in cotton wool between now and the Europa League final, insisting 'it's better to play than to stay out'.

United are slumped down in 15th in the Premier League and must navigate games against West Ham and Chelsea before facing Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on May 21.

Manchester United and Tottenham's seasons hinge on that showpiece in Bilbao - but Amorim is against the idea of keeping his star names on the sidelines between now and then.

'They will play because sometimes it's better to play,' Amorim explained.

'What I will protect is the players that can get an injury. For example, Bruno, or the last game before Tottenham, but we moved the game to Friday, Chelsea, so we will have time to recover.

'We want to be competitive also in the Premier League. Bruno doesn't have the problem of (knocks table) any injury, but Harry [Maguire] has. So we will have to manage that, but they have to play. It's better to play than to stay out.'

Amorim made eight changes between the two legs of their Europa League semi-final when they lost 4-3 away to Brentford.

While opportunities will arise for academy products such as Harry Amass, Tyler Fredricson and Chido Obi, Amorim wants to keep competition for places high by allowing his players to compete in the league.

'Of course, they will fight for the places,' he said.

'They will be ready, excited, and that is the good thing, not just the final, but also to prepare the games of the Premier League, with something in our mind that we can win. It's going to be massive.'

Amorim felt at Brentford that too many of his players already had one eye on the semi-final second leg, which United won 4-1 on the night against Athletic Club, and while the success of the season hinges on winning the Europa League, he has no desire to throw the remaining league games.

'We cannot save nothing from the Premier League,' he said, 'but I think it's a good thing for them [to play].

'We will not have a lot of trainings. They will fight for a place in the final in these games.

'I think against Brentford we had some mistakes. I felt that some of our players were thinking about this game. So we have to manage that.

'But we also have to acknowledge that we are Manchester United. We need to win games also in the Premier League.

'We have to use every game to improve, even to prepare for the final, but especially to prepare for the future.'

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Inside Ange Postecoglou's emotional dressing room speech to his Tottenham stars as they celebrate reaching Europa League final against Man United

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Inside Ange Postecoglou's emotional dressing room speech to his Tottenham stars as they celebrate reaching Eur - Daily Mail
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Ange Postecoglou gave an emotional speech to his Tottenham players after they booked their place in the Europa League final.

Amidst one of their worst league campaigns in the club's modern history, European football has served as a consistent reprieve for Spurs and Thursday night proved no different.

After securing a 3-1 victory on home soil in the first leg of their semi-final clash with Bodo/Glimt last week, Postecoglou's side travelled to Norway intent on moving within one game of their first European title in more than three decades.

Just one day after their north London rivals saw their European hopes dashed at the hands of PSG, goals from Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke were enough for Tottenham to comfortably progress to the final later this month.

With his side potentially just 90 minutes away from fulfilling his prophecy of second season silverware an emotional Postecoglou addressed the team in the dressing room post-match.

Looking ahead to an all-English clash with Manchester United, Postecoglou delivered a rousing address to his squad, with a video of the speech shared on the club's official X account.

'I've said it before that what you, as a group, players and staff have gone through this year... I've been in this game a long time, I'm very experienced, I've experienced it all, but I'm so proud of how all of you have just stuck together,' he said.

'Not one time have I felt like people are not believing or have lost what we have in here, and it's just outstanding.

'People will never realise what it's taken for you guys to be in this position, and you deserve all the credit for that.

'It's unbelievable what you've done. To come to this place, difficult place, win comfortably, but the whole time through, all the things we've had to deal with. There's people who aren't with us today, who are back home.

'Fraser [Forster] played a big part, Sonny's played a big part, Madders, Lucas [Bergvall], Radu [Dragusin], they've all played a big part.

'Everyone's contributed, and that's the main thing that's got us to this point. We've had problems for sure, but we've stuck together, and you deserve it. Now we've got two weeks, just under two weeks to prepare.

'Every day is important, every day, every training session, every game we have between now and then is about getting ready for that big game.

'You can change things, you saw what you did, 400 supporters here today, they'll never forget it. There's thousands back home, you can make it something really special.

'I keep saying to you, this is the group of players that are going to do it. So focus on that for now, but you deserve all the credit, it's been outstanding. So from tomorrow we focus, yeah?'

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Man United and Tottenham fans face paying THOUSANDS as flights to Europa League final in Bilbao go through the roof - or there's a 34-hour ferry - and tickets are gold dust!

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Man United and Tottenham fans face paying THOUSANDS as flights to Europa League final in Bilbao go through the - Daily Mail
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The staggering cost for Manchester United and Tottenham fans to attend the Europa League final in Bilbao has been revealed.

The Red Devils booked their spot in the deciding round of the tournament for the second time this decade, after depriving Athletic Bilbao of an invitation to their own party by beating them 7-1 across two legs.

Meanwhile, Spurs beat Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate and travel to northern Spain in search of their first European trophy since they won the UEFA Cup in 1984.

Their last trip to the top stage of a European competition was also an all-English affair, when Liverpool beat them 2-0 in the 2019 Champions League final.

This year's Europa League final will be held on May 21 at the Estadio San Mames with each finalist set to receive 15,000 tickets out of the 49,600 available.

As part of Uefa's 'fans first' scheme, these tickets are the most affordable, with prices starting at €40 (£34).

The 19,6000 tickets allocated to the general public range from €65 to 240 (£55 to £204), while hospitality packages range from €1290 to 1490 (£1,096 to £1,266) per person.

As of 8am BST on Friday, the cheapest flight to get from London to Bilbao on May 21 would run Spurs fans a whopping £355 for a one-way ticket, according to SkyScanner.

To fly back from Bilbao to the English capital the next day, the cheapest flight costs £175, departing at 7:40am with a stop at the Canary Islands along the way.

For the luxury of a direct afternoon flight home, fans can expect to pay over £500, with less than a dozen of these tickets still available online.

Meanwhile, United fans would have to cough up even more. From Manchester to Bilbao, the cheapest plane ticket on May 21 (that arrives two or more hours before kick-off) costs £524, with a stop in Munich, Germany, on the way.

To return from Bilbao, the cheapest flight on May 22 costs £446, departing at around mid-day with a stop in Lisbon, Portugal, on the way. Direct flights back to Manchester are currently going for a mind-boggling £941 at the lowest.

Shrewd opportunists who might look to get a cheaper deal by flying out the eve of the game are met with disappointment, as this would cost even more than flying on the day - from both Manchester and London.

A more price-friendly option would be to travel by coach; a journey from London Victoria Coach Station to Bilbao would take around 26 hours and costs around £108 one way, leaving at 12:30pm the day before the game, as per Trainline.com.

As it stands, there are no coach tickets available directly from Manchester to Bilbao, meaning United fans would have to make the trip down to London if they opted for this mode of transport.

Anyone looking to make their own ways to Bilbao by driving would still face hundreds in travel costs.

Journeying through the Channel Tunnel will cost just under £200, with petrol and a potential overnight hotel stay adding to the total expense.

At a last resort, there are direct return ferries from Portsmouth to Bilbao, which take around 34 hours and cost almost £900 in a car or just under £400 on foot. Trips leave port on Sunday, May 18, arriving in Bilbao on Tuesday, May 20.

The return ferry leaves Bilbao on Saturday, May 24, meaning fans would have to make a proper holiday out of their trip. Factoring in hotel costs and living expenses for four nights, this may not be the most financially savvy choice.

Hotel prices in the city centre range anywhere between £850 and £13,345.

However, fans could opt to stay in nearby towns such as Bakio, Bermeo and Mundaka, which are all 30 to 40-minute drives away from Bilbao, where there are cheaper alternatives available.

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Ruben Amorim sends warning to Man United stars after setting up all-English Europa League final against Tottenham - and explains why he is 'worried'

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Ruben Amorim sends warning to Man United stars after setting up all-English Europa League final against Totten - Daily Mail
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Ruben Amorim warned his Manchester United players they have won nothing yet after they booked their place in the Europa League final.

Over in Norway, Tottenham Hotspur ensured their own spot in the Bilbao showpiece on May 21 with a 2-0 win over Bodo/Glimt, while United came from behind to win 4-1.

Bilbao will be the stage where the two Premier League sides will go head to head to salvage their nightmare seasons in one of the highest stakes games in recent years for both clubs.

Tottenham are one of only five teams worse in the Premier League this season than Manchester United, sitting 16th, and both teams must win to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Amorim headed straight down the tunnel as his players celebrated after a 4-1 win over Athletic Club last night and he warned them that there is still a lot of work to do before he joins any celebrations.

‘I'm just worried about the next game, trying to not get any injuries for the final. If we don't win the final, it means nothing for us,’ Amorim said.

‘We have to have a full squad [against Tottenham], stay in the game and have a bit of luck and we have to be clinical.

‘It’s quite similar for me and Ange [Postecoglou]. It is a tough moment [for us both] and one of us is going to win. It's going to be a big final and we will try to win.’

United came into last night’s second leg with a 3-0 lead from the first leg but for 70 minutes they looked set to make this as difficult as possible as they fell behind in the first half.

But Amorim made decisive changes off the bench with Amad Diallo and Mason Mount, who scored a brace for his first goals at Old Trafford, to ease the pressure tumbling down from the stands.

‘It's hard to describe what it's like to be manager of this club and you want to give them [the fans] something because we were so disappointing in the Premier League,’ he added.

‘We want to give something to the fans.

‘I am stressed already because of the final. If you don’t win it, it is nothing. We are happy to be there. Let’s see.’

Amorim added: ‘I can see I should be a better manager in this moment, the team should be better in this moment but we are trying and I think we did quite well in Europe.

‘We struggle a lot in Premier league so let’s see.’

For defeated boss Ernesto Valverde, there was pride in how his team fought and he was eager to take the learnings from a bruising night in Manchester.

‘You learn from everything,’ he said.

‘For many players, it was their first season in Europe after being out of this competition for a while. You learn from these things too.

'I'm feeling good about the end of the match, but we've had a great competition from the start. I'm a little annoyed that for 10 minutes we had a bittersweet feeling.

‘I'm left with the feeling that we could have done much more in this tie.’

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Bodo/Glimt 0-2 Tottenham (1-5 agg): Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro fire Spurs to clinical win in the Arctic, setting up Europa League final against Man United

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Bodo/Glimt 0-2 Tottenham (1-5 agg): Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro fire Spurs to clinical win in the Arctic, - Daily Mail
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Almost eight months have passed since Tottenham’s lost in the North London derby, a painful defeat which inspired Ange Postecoglou to remind the world he always claims a trophy in his second season.

So, the timing seemed appropriate. On the day after Arsenal slithered out of the Champions League, Postecoglou’s Spurs are Bilbao bound. One step closer to fulfilling that promise.

Inside the Arctic Circle, the man from Down Under must have felt on top of the world. He has taken plenty of criticism this season and here he is with a date in the Europa League final.

Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro scored the goals to help the Londoners kill off the threat of Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt. Solanke pounced to convert from close range after a knock down from a corner just after the hour.

Porro scored with a cross six minutes later, but they all count, and this one counted plenty, extending the aggregate lead to 5-1 and finally convincing a boisterous home crowd that this was the night when their adventure would end.

Tottenham go on to the Basque Country in northern Spain on Wednesday week in search of their first major trophy since 2008, their first in Europe since they won the UEFA Cup in 1984.

Bodo/Glimt have made something a habit of embarrassing illustrious visitors to their humble home with its artificial surface.

They drenched it with powerful water jets before kick-off despite a couple of hours of steady rain and the ball travelled across the surface followed by an arc of spray.

Unsurprisingly, Bodo/Glimt settled quickest, cheered on by a vociferous home crowd, many of them kitted out in bright yellow rain ponchos like sowesters and seemingly undeterred by the 3-1 first-leg deficit.

There was a quiet confidence about the Norwegians, with three players back form suspension including captain Patrick Berg, whose grandfather is club legend, with a statue outside the Aspmyra Stadium.

And the feeling was encouraged by the early exchanges, with their team forcing a corner, which found its way to Ole Didrik Blomberg, who slammed their first effort of the game into the side netting.

Tottenham were wearing a similar shade of sage green to the one they wore six years ago to the day, on a famous night in Amsterdam when Lucas Moura’s hat trick completed a remarkable comeback and sent Spurs into the Champions League final.

Perhaps it focused the minds. They defended deep, keeping the ball carefully when they had it and seeking to test the patience of their hosts. As they did for much of the game in Frankfurt, the second leg of the quarter final and the standout display of this European campaign.

Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur screened the back four with Postecoglou tweaking his usual 433 into a 4231 shape. Tottenham’s players all took their time getting the ball back into play and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario often kicked long rather than invite Bodo/Glimt to press them.

Going forward, Spurs had promising situations without creating a clear chance. Richarlison, preferred to Mathys Tel on the left wing, had an early effort saved and Brennan Johnson almost converted a low cross by Destiny Udogie.

Bodo ‘keeper Nikita Haikin pushed a free-kick over by Porro over after a foul on Solanke.

Small signs of success included a yellow card for centre-forward Kasper Hogh for dissent shown after a foul was awarded against him in midfield.

There were minor alarms, such as when Vicario was almost caught out of his goal, but Tottenham made it through to half time without a major scare and with the two-goal advantage intact.

They had the last chance of the first half when a corner spilled to Bissouma, just outside the penalty area. Bissouma’s eyes lit up, but he could not keep his shot down and over it sailed.

Udogie was back on his goal line to make a vital block soon after the interval. An inswinging cross took a deflection and deceived almost everyone but the left back was in the right place to divert it away from goal.

Bodo took heart once again as Postecoglou paced about in the rain, hands sunk into the pockets of his winter coat

Tottenham were finding it more difficult to get out and exert any meaningful pressure by this stage.

They were simply repelling one attack after another and hope Solanke might forage them something on the counterattack. They needed a change and when Postecoglou sent on Tel for Richarlison it quickly paid dividends.

Tel took the corner from which Spurs broke the deadlock. Romero headed it down and Solanke was alert to stab it into the net from close range. Suddenly, all the noise came form a damp corner of the ground where the Tottenham fans were singing about Bilbao.

Postecoglou’s next change sent on Pape Matar Sarr to reinforce the midfield. And was Sarr who set Porro in motion for the second of the night.

Porro charged forward from right back looking to swing over a cross, but it swerved over ‘keeper Haikin and in off the far post.

There was no way back for Bodo/Glimt. They had a penalty awarded and overturned in stoppage time but it made no difference.

Spurs are on their way to Bilbao. Closing in on that elusive trophy and Postecoglou is one win from extending his proud record.

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Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham - Europa League: Live score, team news and updates as Spurs travel to Arctic Circle to try and reach final, plus updates from Chelsea vs Djurgarden in Conference League

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Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham - Europa League: Live score, team news and updates as Spurs travel to Arctic Circle... - Daily Mail
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Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates from Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham in the Europa League plus updates from the Conference League clash of Chelsea vs Djurgarden.

© Associated Newspapers Ltd

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Tottenham's trip to the Arctic Circle: Why Spurs fear a giant-killing in town of 40,000 where fans are trading tickets for fish and reindeer meat

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Tottenham's trip to the Arctic Circle: Why Spurs fear a giant-killing in town of 40,000 where fans are trading - Daily Mail
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Having secured a 3-1 lead in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt, many would make Tottenham clear favourites to progress past their Norwegian opponents and take a major step towards silverware.

There are some, however, who are fearing Ange Postecoglou's side could become the latest to suffer a giant killing on a unique trip into the Arctic Circle.

In 10 home ties in this European campaign, which started in July in the Champions League qualifiers, the Norwegian champions have won nine.

This has included victories against established clubs such as Lazio, Olympiacos, Twente, Besiktas and Red Star. Three years ago, they beat Roma 6-1 after knocking out Postecoglou's Celtic.

Part of their success in Europe, where they have won 28 of their last 34 home games, has been put down to the artificial surface at the 8,270-capacity Aspmyra Stadium in the Norwegian fishing town.

'We are a good football team first and foremost. Like most teams, we are better at home than away,' said Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen.

'The grass we have is what we play on. It's due to the climate. And the more you play on it the better you get. At home, over time, we have learned to trust in ourselves. It's a good pitch and good players can easily adapt.'

Despite struggling on a artificial pitch in an FA Cup third round tie at non-league Tamworth in January, Postecoglou's side opted to only train on a plastic surface on Wednesday at the Norwegian side's stadium.

Tottenham do look set to benefit from warmer weather conditions than many of the sides to have fallen to Bodo/Glimt so far in Europe.

Sub-zero temperatures had led to snow needing to be cleared in the build-up to their quarter-final tie against Lazio last month. However, the temperature is expected to be around 5C by kick-off time, although Spurs may have to tackle windy conditions due to the town's location on the coast.

While the conditions might be more hospitable, some locals made an attempt to create some unease for their Premier League visitors by setting off fireworks outside the Tottenham hotel at around 2.37am.

'The perpetrators were observed running from the scene,' a police statement read. 'When the police arrived they found several rocket batteries. Some were not lit.

'These were taken by the police, in order to maintain peace and order.'

With the fishing town of Bodo, located around 1,000 kilometres north of the capital Olso, having a population of around 40,000 the club's rise over recent years has been remarkable.

Ulrik Saltnes, who scored their crucial late goal in the first leg, claimed earlier this year that the club was effectively semi-professional when he signed in 2011 but is now run like an elite outfit.

Having been relegated to the second tier in 2017, the club bounced back the following year before emerging as Norway's dominant force by claiming the domestic title in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024.

The appointment of a former Norwegian Air Force pilot, Bjørn Mannsverk, as a mental coach in 2017 was reportedly a key moment.

Mannsverk told the Associated Press his role was to help players talk openly about their feelings and reduce stress levels, having found the the squad suffered from 'a collective mental breakdown' in matches during their relegation season.

Mannsverk, whose duties in the Norwegian air force took him to Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks and to Libya for a NATO-led intervention in 2011, explained his squadron had been subject to a mental training project in 2010 where the focus was on meditation and 'every day repeating boring stuff, but with 100 per cent attention.'

The training reportedly helped them perform dangerous missions in Libya, with his squadron's mantra of 'train as you intend to fight' working.

'Even though I got strong feelings when my first bombs hit the target and it was in infernal flames and fragments and everything,' Mannsverk said. 'It was like, "My training said that it´s OK, this is happening, recognize that, but know I have to return and do my job."'

Mannsverk would move across to Bodo/Glimt to help improve the team's 'mental conditioning', with members of the club's leadership coming across the squadron due the town until recently being home to a NATO air base.

Mannsverk's techniques - which include meditation, one-on-one sessions and group meetings - were said to have helped Saltnes overcome stress-related stomach issues that flared up around matches, with the midfielder having previously considered retiring.

As the club have enjoyed domestic success and have made strides in Europe in recent years, they have also sought to make an impact away from the football pitch.

Since 2019, the club have had a project titled Action Now which has attempted to raise awareness of key issues such as climate change and promote sustainable practices.

All members of the club are involved in the project, with the club's academy teams - down to their under-13s - choosing specific sustainability goals to support each season.

Activities have included clearing up beaches and raising awareness of reducing the amount of plastic in the oceans.

The club have had Action Now featured on their kits, which the club state have been produced by Puma with sustainable materials.

Given the appetite to watch the semi-final, locals have been battling in any way they can to secure tickets for Thursday night's match, with some selling fish and reindeer meat in order to get a seat.

Torbjorn Eide, a production boss at a fish farm in Torsken, told Norway's state broadcaster NRK that he offered five kilograms of semi-fried boknafisk for a ticket. The haul of fish, worth around £181, managed to tempt a fellow fan into giving up their seat.

'We produce Norway's best bokna fish, and it may not be possible to get it in Bodo city (which is eight hours away). So I thought maybe someone would like it, Eide said.

'You know, those of us who work in fishing are often creative. I didn't really think it would work, but then a guy showed up who wanted to try boknafisk.'

Boknafish, which is typically cod, is partially dried in the cold outdoors and is a traditional dish in northern Norway.

Oystein Aanes, who bought the fish, told NRK: 'It was just a funny thing. The ticket was actually for my brother, who was supposed to travel from Oslo, but he didn't make it anyway.

'I've never bought bokna fish before, I don't even know how to prepare it. The fish is for my mother, so she can take care of it.'

Another fan, Nils Erik Oskal, was inspired by the fish trade so thought he would try his luck with reindeer meat.

'I was number 40,000 in the queue or something. I had some extra meat to spare,' he told NRK.

'I thought it must be possible to do it with reindeer meat. Someone was munching on it. It didn't take long. It wasn't a cheap ticket considering what reindeer meat usually costs. But it's really the same thing, I get to experience something great.'

For those lucky enough to get a ticket, the likelihood is they will be waving one a giant yellow toothbrush, something that has been a tradition at the club since the 1970s.

The tradition emerged after the country's biggest dental company Jordan offered fans a sponsorship, after spotting how fan leaders had used toothbrushes to conduct singing.

Bodo/Glimt typically give a normal sized yellow toothbrush to the visiting team's captain ahead of matches. In the absence of Son Heung-min due to injury, that honour looks set to fall to Cristian Romero.

Tottenham will be hoping it will be a token on a successful journey to Bilbao, while Bodo/Glimt aim to make it the last prized possession Spurs receive in the competition this year.

Source