SPORTbible

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt yet another injury blow just one week before their Europa League final showdown against Manchester United.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will face off in Bilbao on May 21, with the winners set to be crowned Europa League champions and gain a place in next season’s Champions League.

Spurs will be without James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall.

While United saw French defender Leny Yoro sustain a foot injury during Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat against West Ham United – although head coach Ruben Amorim suggested “it could be a small thing”.

Right-back Diogo Dalot, suffered a muscle injury in last month’s 1-0 home defeat against Wolves and could miss the final.

Centre-back Matthijs de Ligt is recovering from an ankle injury and could be in contention to return to the squad ahead of United’s Premier League fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Friday (May 16).

As for Spurs, Ange Postecoglou conceded that Dejan Kulusevski’s knee was “sore” during a UEFA media day on Monday (May 12).

Postecoglou said: “We'll see [about his fitness], he was a bit sore this morning with his knee. It looks like a knock at this stage, but we're going to let it settle for 24 hours, then assess it. But the initial thing was it's more of a knock than anything more significant.”

However, the MEN reports that sources “say the Swede's chances of recovery in time for next Wednesday's final have since reduced”.

The Spurs boss added: “We've obviously lost Madders and Bergvall in the last two weeks, so yesterday I only had three players back up and they were all going to play 45 minutes and you know, Sod's law, it's one of those that gets injured and look he is important, but you know, where we are right now they're all important. The thing with Deki was that he obviously missed a fair bit of football, but I could just sense he was getting back into the groove of things. I thought there's some real promising signs.

“At Bodo, he had to do a really disciplined job for us in terms of defensively, but he started to show some of that attacking creativity, and I thought he started the game really well yesterday. I thought our first 10 minutes were actually okay, and then he gets injured, so yeah, he's pretty important to us in the context of where the squad is at the moment, so fingers crossed he's OK.”

The winner of next Wednesday's Europa League final in Bilbao will qualify automatically for the league phase of next season's Champions League but Manchester United might need to make some changes first.

Man Utd 'could be banned' from the Champions League according to renowned Manchester title Liverpool.com and it comes down to the Red Devils' partial ownership by Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos.

Ratcliffe owns around 29% of Manchester United and assumed control of the club's football operations.

But he also owns French Ligue 1 side Nice, who are fourth in the table and positioned for a place in the Champions League third qualifying round.

UEFA has rules around multi-club ownership and their teams participating in the same competition under the European governing body's auspices.

Those rules have been changed and it's now less likely than before that either United or Nice – both of whom played in the Europa League this season – would face a ban.

"Under previous UEFA regulations, two clubs under the same ownership were barred from participating in different European competitions," reads the Liverpool.com report.

"Given that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has stakes in both Man United and Ligue 1 side Nice, it would have been impossible for both teams to compete in European football."

There is now no blanket rule to that effect. UEFA has adopted a more bespoke process with shared ownership pairs such as Chelsea and Strasbourg or the Red Bull teams posing the question more regularly.

No two multi-club ownership pairs are alike and UEFA now seeks to be flexible enough to legislate around that.

"Currently, UEFA evaluates potential conflicts of interest on a case-by-case basis, which is evident from the acceptance of United and Nice in the Europa League, as well as Manchester City and Girona competing in the same season's tournament," continues the report.

Discussions between Ratcliffe and UEFA have in fact already taken place and the chances of a ban are vanishingly small.

Liverpool.com quotes Ratcliffe himself: "No, there are no circumstances upon which an ownership of Nice would prevent Manchester United from playing in the Champions League. I'll be crystal clear on that. We have spoken to UEFA and I have to say the conversation wasn't directed at, 'you have to solve this problem and you know we don't like it'. We have an issue and we might have to change some things."

As long as key football personnel are not shared between the two clubs, that issue should prove inconsequential.

Authorities in Bilbao are preparing for a huge number of ticketless football supporters to visit from England to enjoy next Wednesday's Europa League final.

Manchester United fans are expected to be outnumbered by their Tottenham Hotspur counterparts, with meetings between the clubs revealing that around 15,000 Spurs fans without tickets will make the trip.

United are only expecting 2,000 fans without tickets to travel to Bilbao. The teams will also be backed inside the stadium by a ticketed allocation of 15,000 each.

But while Spurs shirts are anticipated to be in the Basque Country in greater numbers next week than Man Utd ones, the vast areas of hospitality seating at San Mames will be disproportionately populated by fans of Ruben Amorim's Red Devils when the Europa League final itself gets underway.

The Daily Mail's Mike Keegan reports that visiting fans of both the ticketed and ticketless varieties can look forward to a warmer welcome in Bilbao than other cities in Spain.

"Officers from Greater Manchester Police, Met Police and the UK Football Policing Unit will be in Bilbao for the fixture and have been working with the local force, the Ertzaintza, with whom they enjoy a strong relationship," writes Keegan.

"The Ertzaintza has a reputation for a more light-handed approach than forces in many other Spanish cities and their trip to London has been seen as a measure of their willingness to co-operate.

"Two separate fan zones will be set up, and no issues with locals are expected. Those who live in Bilbao are passionate about football and are known for their warm hospitality."

United boast a colossal global fanbase but European finals have been more of a rarity for Spurs and fans are planning to take the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere in a beautiful city six years after their Champions League final meeting with Liverpool.

"Before 2019, their last appearance at a European final came in 1984. Meetings were held between both clubs on Friday and Saturday to plan for the match at the 53,000-capacity San Mames stadium," continues Keegan.

"It is believed that around 15,000 Spurs fans without tickets will travel to the Basque country, compared to around 2,000 followers of United in a similar position."

Richard Keys has claimed Spurs have already held discussions with a stunning potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou ahead of the Europa League final.

Spurs have had a dismissal Premier League campaign and are currently 17th following a 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

But the North London still have the chance to end their 17-year trophy drought and qualify for next season's Champions League if they beat Manchester United in the all-English final.

However, Postecoglou remains under pressure and it has been reported that the Australian could still lose his job even if he does win the Europa League.

A slew of managers have been linked with Spurs, including Andoni Iraola, Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank.

But former Sky Sports presenter Keys claims he has heard that Spurs have been in contact with former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez, who has been out of work for just under a year after being dismissed by Barcelona.

However, the 68-year-old believes Xavi is not yet ready to get back in the dugout.

“Even if he wins the Europa League Ange can’t survive now," Keys said in a blog post on his official website.

"I heard from a really good source last week Spurs have spoken with Xavi. That makes a lot of sense.

“Sadly for Spurs I’m also told he’s not ready to return to coaching yet. Or perhaps he’s even smarter than we thought?”

Spurs have lost a staggering 20 games in the league, with only the three promoted sides suffering more defeats than them this term.

Xavi has already made Premier League admission

Xavi has only had two managerial stints, the first of which was at Qatar side Al Sadd before taking the reins at his beloved Barcelona and winning La Liga in 2023.

And after spending his entire playing with career with the Blaugrana, he is very much interested in managing in the Premier League but has already explained the type of job he wants.

"There’s no hurry for me, but I’d like a good project," he told The Athletic.

"Like, ‘You have four years to work and make a project’. I’d love to work in the Premier League because I love the passion there. In Spain, it’s too much about the result.

“Look what has happened to [Carlo] Ancelotti and people criticising him. It’s not fair. He won 30 trophies in 10 years and he’s criticised like he’s not won anything. Valverde said it perfectly when he said: ‘If Ancelotti is criticised, what hope is there for the rest of us?’ But the pressure in Spain is difficult, especially at Barca and Madrid.”

UEFA have confirmed their match official appointment for the Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United.

Spurs and United face off in Bilbao on May 21, with the winner earning a spot in next season's Champions League.

Spurs have won the competition on two previous occasions under its UEFA Cup guise, in 1972 and 1984.

United, meanwhile, lifted the Europa League in 2017 under Jose Mourinho.

UEFA have confirmed that German referee Felix Zwayer has been appointed as the referee for the final.

His assistants will be fellow German officials Robert Kempter and Christian Dietz, while the fourth official is Maurizio Mariani of Italy.

Zwayer has officiated United on a total of four occasions during his career, with the Manchester club winning two and drawing two of those matches.

Spurs, meanwhile, are winless - drawn one, lost one - in the two matches in which the German has been the referee.

He is regarded by UEFA as one of their top officials, though has been embroiled in controversy at different stages in his career.

In 2005, Zwayer was given a six-month ban for his part in a match-fixing scandal after he was found to have accepted a £250 bribe from fellow referee Robert Hoyzer.

His ban was brought up by Jude Bellingham after he made a contentious decision during Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga defeat to Bayern Munich in 2021.

The England midfielder was fined €40,000 by UEFA for 'unsportsmanlike conduct' after he said of Zwayer's decision to award Bayern a penalty for a handball by defender Mats Hummels: "You give a referee that has match-fixed before the biggest game in Germany, what do you expect?"

Zwayer was subsequently placed in charge of England's Euro 2024 semi-final against Netherlands, which Bellingham played in.

Manchester United will face a unique dilemma regardless of whether they win the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

United and Spurs will contest the third all-English final in the competition's history when they face off in Bilbao on May 21.

The two teams will both be competing for a spot in next season's Champions League for the winner, with the loser missing out on Europe altogether due to their Premier League positions.

United sat in 15th place before the gameweek 36 fixtures, with Spurs a place further back in 16th.

One key rule at the end of the final stipulates that, whichever team wins the trophy, it must then be returned to UEFA to store until next year's final.

The winning team, however, will receive a replica trophy for display purposes.

But a key logistical issue for both sides will occur when they receive their winners' or losers' medals.

As per official UEFA regulations, each side will be awarded 50 medals to share out between players and staff.

The regulations also stipulate that a maximum of 38 team members can be present in Bilbao, with that number split into a maximum of 27 players and 11 support staff on the bench.

That will leave 12 unclaimed medals on the night, with United having control over who the medals are given out to.

There could, therefore, be a scenario where the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony - who were both loaned out by the club in January - receive a medal after playing for United in the group stages.

And unlike Spurs, United may have to consider whether to give a medal to two of their former managers.

Erik ten Hag, who managed United in the early group stage fixtures before his October sacking, could receive a medal from his former club.

Ruud van Nistelrooy also managed one Europa League fixture - a 2-0 win over PAOK - after being appointed as interim manager following Ten Hag's departure. He is now manager of fellow Premier League side Leicester City.

A total of 26 players have represented United in the competition this season that are currently part of the club, with January loan exits Rashford, Antony and Tyrell Malacia taking that figure up to 29.

Any player who has made an appearance for a club in the Europa League is eligible to receive a medal, as there is no UEFA eligibility rule relating to a minimum number of games played in the competition.

The stadium which will host the Europa League final between Spurs and Manchester United carries a tradition which has lasted 98 years.

Spurs and United will square off in the all-English final on Wednesday 21 May at the San Mames Stadium, home of semi-finalists Athletic Club.

United have already played at the ground this season, dispatching Athletic 3-0 in the first leg before trouncing them 4-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday night.

The 53,000 capacity arena, the seventh-largest in Spain, was built in 2013 and is a modern upgrade of the old San Mames.

San Mames, which hosted the Women's Champions League final last year, has a host of impressive features such as illuminated panels outside the stadium and a large external video screen.

But the ground also retains a tradition which started in 1926 in honour of Athletic legend Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, better known as 'Pichichi' because of his frail frame.

Athletic Club's 98-year tradition at San Mames

Pichichi played for Athletic, his only club, in the 1910s and 1920s and scored 83 goals in 89 goals, as well as winning four Copa del Reys.

He also represented Spain at the Olympics and had a brief stint as a referee before dying at just 29 after reportedly suffering from typhus.

Pichichi is an Athletic legend and four years after his passing, the club unveiled a statue at San Mames and it became a tradition that whenever a team would play at the stadium for the first time, the captain would leave a bouquet of flowers.

Hungarian side MTK Budapest were the very first to do so prior to a friendly in 1927, and the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Schalke have followed suit.

When the Basque outfit moved to the new San Mames, they ensured there was a new spot to pay homage to Pichichi at the players' tunnel, with captains encouraged to show respect.

United played at the old San Mames back in 1957 and in 2012, with Sir Alex Ferguson taking an interest in the tradition at a stadium which he played at with Dunfermline and Rangers in his playing career.

Spurs' only meeting with Athletic was a friendly at White Hart Lane in 2011 and so the final could open the opportunity for them to participate in the gesture.

Pichichi's legacy has also been commemorated in the form of the La Liga top goalscorer award, which is named after him and has past winners like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

SPORTbible has reached out to Tottenham Hotspur for comment.

UEFA has already set a little-known rule that the winner of this year’s Europa League must follow.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur booked their places in the 2024/25 Europa League final with convincing victories against Athletic Club and Bodo/Glimt on Thursday to set up a mouth-watering all-Premier League affair in Bilbao, Spain on May 21.

Ahead of the final, concerns around travel and ticketing have already been raised, with some calling for the showpiece to be moved to a neutral venue in England, although this seems highly unlikely if previous examples are anything to go by.

Of course, winning the competition is a massive achievement in itself but with the added incentive of Champions League qualification, both Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim will be keen to secure their first trophy at their respective clubs.

And the side that does lift the 15kg trophy – the heaviest of all UEFA silverware – later this month, will be under strict rules.

According to UEFA’s website, “the original trophy, which is used for the official presentation ceremony at the final and at other official events approved by UEFA, remains in UEFA’s keeping and ownership at all times. A full-size replica trophy, the UEFA Europa League winners' trophy, is awarded to the winning club”.

And that’s not all, as the regulations go on to explain how “replica trophies awarded to winners of the competition (past and current) must remain within the relevant club’s control at all times and may not leave the club’s country without UEFA’s prior written consent (in this respect, clubs must comply with any request from the UEFA administration to confirm the location of the club’s replica trophies).

“Clubs must not permit a replica trophy to be used in any context where a third party (including sponsors and other commercial partners) is granted visibility or in any other way that could lead to an association between any third party and the trophy and/or the competition”.

The winning team will be presented with 50 gold medals while the runners-up will receive 50 silver medals for their efforts.

Winners will also receive a huge financial boost, with BBC Sport reporting that United could get around £100m in additional revenue.

However, Red Devils head coach Amorim, 40, insisted it "money is not the most important thing" after United's 4-1 (7-1 on aggregate) victory on Thursday (May 8).

"The money is not the most important thing," Amorim said. "To win a title as a coach brings a feeling, a feeling we can do good things, that we can give something to our fans.

"I agree it is not just playing Champions League next season. It is that feeling we can change things."

Manchester United will be forced into a kit change for their Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur due to a 64-year-old tradition.

United and Spurs will contest the third all-English final of the Europa League's history, dating back to when it was known as the UEFA Cup.

The two sides defeated Athletic Bilbao and Bodo/Glimt respectively in the semi-finals, with the final due to take place in Bilbao on May 21.

The reward for the winner is a spot in next season's Champions League, with the loser missing out on Europe entirely due to their current league positions of 15th (United) and 16th (Spurs).

In the Premier League, both sides are allowed to wear their home kits when playing against each other as, despite United wearing white shorts and Spurs wearing white shirts, it isn't enough to constitute a kit clash.

In Europe, though, it is a different story.

Spurs have, where permitted, worn an all-white kit for their European matches - a tradition that dates back 64 years.

Back in the 1960/61 season, Spurs manager Bill Nicholson decided to change the club's kit, partially because he considered it to hold a potential performance advantage.

The club's official website revealed that, although it has been widely claimed that the main reason was to emulate Real Madrid's all-white kit, there was a more practical explanation.

With floodlights not as bright as they are today, Spurs' white shirt and navy shorts combination made it difficult for the players to see each other during evening matches.

Nicholson decided to sanction the all-white kit change to improve visibility.

Spurs would use white shorts for the first time in an away match against Polish side Gornik in 1961 - their first-ever European fixture after completing a First Division and FA Cup double in the previous campaign.

Winger Cliff Jones would later state: "We did love playing in it [the all-white kit]. European nights we felt fresher, the air was different."

Spurs are the administrative home side for the Europa League final, meaning they will get first choice over whether to wear their home kit.

Ange Postecoglou, therefore, will hope that he and his side can emulate that feeling in Bilbao and deliver the club's first trophy since 2008.

Manchester United have been officially stripped of an advantage over Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the Europa League final between the two sides.

United defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday to win their semi-final by a 7-1 aggregate scoreline.

Spurs, meanwhile, completed a 5-1 aggregate win over Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt with a 2-0 away victory.

The two teams will face off in an all-English Europa League final for only the third time in the competition's history, and the first since 2018.

It carries even more significant importance than in other years, with both teams knowing that their only way of playing in Europe at all next season is to win the Europa League and therefore qualify for the Champions League.

Ahead of the final, the Premier League have been forced into a key change to the schedule which had previously benefitted Manchester United.

United take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Friday, May 16, with Spurs originally set to travel to take on Aston Villa on Sunday, May 18.

That would have given Ange Postecoglou's side two days fewer rest than their Europa League final opponents, with that clash due to take place in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21.

The Premier League have already confirmed that Spurs' game has been moved back to the Friday, with a 7:30pm kick-off, with that date now made official due to their progression to the Europa League final.

United's clash at Chelsea, meanwhile, has been moved to a later kick-off time of 8:15pm on the same date.

A statement reads: "The Premier League match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur has been given a new date of Friday, May 16, kicking off at 19:30 BST.

"This following a request from Spurs in view of their potential participation in the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday, May 21.

"Additionally, the match between Chelsea and Manchester United, also taking place on Friday, May 16, will now kick off at 20:15 BST."

According to the Daily Mail, Villa chiefs were left 'furious' that their match was moved forwards, as they remain in contention for Champions League qualification for next season.

The Champions League quarter-finalists will now have six days between the Spurs clash and their upcoming fixture against Bournemouth on May 10, instead of eight days.

Villa director Damian Vidagany said: "Honestly, not happy.

"Hopefully in the future all of them would [remember] the clear prejudice in this case to Villa fans and will be consistent and equally supportive, if we need changes to help us in Europe (if hopefully we are there).

"We didn't feel this support last season or this one. European football is not only demanding for English clubs just on the verge of the finals."