- Tottenham defeats Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final, ending a 17-year wait for a trophy
- Brennan Johnson’s first-half goal secures the victory for Spurs
- Head coach Ange Postecoglou fulfills his promise to deliver silverware in his second season
Tottenham ended a 17-year trophy drought as Brennan Johnson’s first-half goal secured a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final. This victory marks a significant achievement for under-pressure head coach Ange Postecoglou, who promised to deliver silverware in his second season at Spurs.
Postecoglou, who had vowed in his pre-match address that he would “never be a clown,” brought immense joy to the 15,000 Tottenham fans present at Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium.
While this triumph might not prevent Postecoglou’s departure in the near future, he will leave as a hero, joining the ranks of Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw as the only managers to win a European trophy with Tottenham.
In addition to the glory, Tottenham is set to gain a £100m windfall from qualifying for next season’s Champions League. On the flip side, Manchester United, after their disappointing loss, face an uncertain future. Their head coach, Ruben Amorim, heads into the final Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa with mounting questions about his ability to make the team competitive following their worst season since the 1973-74 relegation campaign.
Although Amorim has the backing of the ownership, his decision to select Mason Mount over Alejandro Garnacho in an attacking role backfired. With skipper Bruno Fernandes off his game, United struggled to break through and failed to recover after conceding the goal.
The Red Devils came close to equalizing with a header from Rasmus Hojlund, which was cleared off the line by Micky van de Ven. Later, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made a dramatic save to deny Luke Shaw’s header, preserving Tottenham’s lead.
