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Ruben Amorim has revived a Manchester United final tradition for the Europa League final against Spurs on Wednesday.

United take on Spurs in an all-English final in Bilbao, with the winner securing qualification to next season's Champions League as well as lifting a European trophy.

A triumph would gloss over what has been a poor domestic campaign from both sides as they lie in 16th and 17th in the league, with a combined total of 39 defeats.

United are the only unbeaten team in the European competition this season and are hoping to replicate their heroics from 2017 when they beat Ajax in Stockholm.

The Red Devils have an extensive history in finals and the current crop will be participating in a long-standing club tradition at the San Mames Stadium.

When Sir Alex Ferguson was at the helm, he demanded that all players wear club suits - even while boarding the plane.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a disciple of Ferguson's, brought it back in when he took the reins at United - though it later became saved for cup finals following the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

They wore suits for the 2021 Europa League final but the 2023 Carabao Cup final saw United turn up in tracksuits because he felt as though changing from suits would mess with their schedule at Wembley.

The branded Paul Smith suits were sported by the group for the 2023 and 2024 FA Cup finals, before a return to tracksuits for the Community Shield in August.

This time around, United shared a number of snaps of their players getting measured for their navy blue 'Brierley' suits.

The suits typically cost £1000 but a 20 per cent discount is being offered for the range, described as a "modern take on a traditional structured shoulder uses padding to create a clean, sharply defined shape:.

United have a long-lasting partnership with Paul Smith as part of a "celebration of football heritage and style" and it appears as though the team will be looking smart for the showpiece.

Ruben Amorim does prefer a casual dress sense on the touchline but wore a club branded suit at the funeral of late receptionist Kath Phipps in January.

Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou and Spurs arrived in Bilbao in their Nike tracksuits as they gear up for the crunch clash.

United trained at Carrington on Tuesday but are expected to fly out later on.

Fans have spotted a shock player travelling to the Europa League final that pits Tottenham against Manchester United.

The all-English Europa League final is just two days away as Bilbao welcomes Spurs and Man United.

Both sides have endured a miserable Premier League campaign as they look to salvage their season with a European trophy.

Spurs and Man United were both in action last Friday as they suffered defeats to Aston Villa and Chelsea respectively.

Ange Postecoglou's side lost 2-0 at Villa Park as the North London outfit were dealt a major injury blow ahead of facing their Premier League counterparts in Wednesday's showpiece fixture.

Postecoglou is already without several key players, including Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall.

James Maddison is also out, having suffered a knee injury in his side's semi-final first-leg win over Bodo/Glimt.

But Maddison has travelled with the squad to Spain for Spurs' Europa League final.

He was seen boarding a coach and posted on social media as the Spurs squad flew out.

His appearance got fans online talking as they questioned whether he could play a part against Man United.

One X user wrote: "Maddison traveled with the squad?"

A second said: "James Maddison has travelled with the squad to Bilbao. Presumably just there to support the boys. Right...?"

A third claimed: "To support the boys of course."

Maddison has likely travelled to Bilbao to provide support, with Postecoglou ruling him out of the season following his injury.

Speaking earlier this month, the Spurs boss said: "Madders tweaked his knee in the first leg. He's out, he'll miss the rest of the season.

"It's disappointing for him more than anything else, because he has been a big catalyst for us.

"He misses out, but that's been a constant of our season dealing with these things. We'll [just need to] overcome that."

Maddison has made 45 appearances this season, including 11 Europa League outings.

Tottenham Hotspur's focus on the Europa League was plastered all over Ange Postecoglou's team selection against Aston Villa on Friday.

Spurs were beaten 2-0 at Villa Park in their last Premier League match before the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao and showed little inclination to put up a fight once they went behind.

Postecoglou, like United head coach Ruben Amorim, has made no secret of the fact that the European final is his top priority, with the two worst teams outside the relegation zone using Premier League fixtures to get minutes into the legs of some players and as opportunities to rest or protect others.

Nevertheless, Spurs got an injury scare at Villa Park when one player who would be in contention for a start in Bilbao appeared to limp off the pitch and head straight down the tunnel after being substituted.

Midfielder Pape Matar Sarr looked uncomfortable as he was replaced by Yves Bissouma early in the second half and Postecoglou clarified the situation in his post-match press conference at Villa Park.

"Pape felt something in his back so we took him off as a bit of a precaution," said the Spurs boss.

"I don’t think it’s anything too significant speaking to him afterwards but he just felt something in his back."

There was also a question mark over 17-year-old Mikey Moore, who had to be substituted late in the game.

Postecoglou added: "I think Mikey was okay. It was fatigue as much as anything else. He hasn’t played that sort of amount of minutes before."

The manager also discussed the performance of captain Son Heung-min, who started against Villa and looked sharp in the first half despite a lack of recent playing time after an injury.

"Getting Sonny back at least gives us another experienced player. I think the last two or three fixtures our average age has been three or four years younger than the opposition. You can see that at times so just having another experienced player available is great for the team," he said.

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-Min has reportedly contacted police after a South Korean man and woman attempted to blackmail him.

Reports from South Korean capital Seoul confirmed that a police station had arrested a woman in her 20s on suspicion of extorting Spurs star Son.

A man was also arrested on suspicion of attempted extortion, as the pair were allegedly reported by Son after they approached demanding money, claiming he had got the woman pregnant.

Son, who does not have a wife or children, refused and immediately reported the incident to the police in an official complaint last week.

The legal team of the Spurs winger revealed that the woman claimed that she fell pregnant with his child last June and demanded several hundred million Korean won to stay silent about the matter.

With 100 hundred million won converting to around £53,000, it is possible that the pair were asking for a significant amount of Son's reported £190,000 weekly salary, as reported by Capology.

The 32-year-old has previously been in relationships with Korean pop stars Bang Min-ah and Yoo So-young, but confirmed that he does not plan to have a family until after his football career.

Speaking to The Guardian in 2019, he said: "My father says this and I agree, as well.

"When you marry, the number one will be family, wife and kids, and then football.

"I want to make sure that while I play at the top level, football can be number one.

"You don’t know how long you can play at the top level. When you retire, or when you are 33 or 34, you can still have a long life with your family."

It's unclear when Son plans on retiring, but his decision will likely depend on if he is offered a new contract with Spurs when his current deal expires next summer.

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.