Europa League final offers salvation for Premiership strugglers

The Premier League will be transported to the Basque region of northern Spain on Wednesday when Manchester United face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final in Athletic Club Bilbao's impressive San Mames Stadium.

The match offers the winner the chance to qualify for next season's Champions League and to salvage something from what has been a dreadful domestic season for both teams.

Tottenham Hotspur's Richarlison (R) shoots during the UEFA Europa League semifinals 1st leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Bodo/Glimt in London, Britain, May 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Manchester United are 16th in the Premier League, with 10 wins and 18 defeats in the club's worst ever season since the competition began in 1988. The season saw Erik ten Hag sacked at the end of October with Ruben Amorim brought in to turn things around.

Amorim has failed to do that in the Premier League, but his side has progressed unbeaten to the final, beating hosts Athletic Club Bilbao in the semi-final after several controversial refereeing decisions all went its way.

Tottenham's campaign has been even worse, with speculation that coach Ange Postecoglou will leave in the summer even if his team lifts the trophy.

Spurs are 17th in the table with 21 defeats from 37 games, and although 63 goals scored points to a laudable commitment to attack, the 61 goals conceded also highlights chaotic defending.

Postecoglou is without the influential duo of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski for the final, while Manchester United will probably be without Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and with question marks over the impressive Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot.

Tottenham's main task on Wednesday will be to try and control Bruno Fernandez, who is at the heart of most of Manchester United's attacking play, while Alejandro Garnacho offers trickery in the United attack.

Wednesday's match is about more than just football, it is about financial survival: last season saw Tottenham record a loss of 26 million pounds (35 million US dollars), Manchester United lost 113 million pounds (151 million US dollars), taking losses for the past three years to over 300 million pounds and prompting the club to respond with a series of cutbacks to staff and with increased ticket prices.

If United wins on Wednesday, qualification for the Champions League will generate around 100 million pounds in income and help steady the ship, but defeat would mean failure to qualify for any European competition, further cuts in revenue, more belt-tightening at Old Trafford and further decline.

It would also mean UEFA loses one of its big box-office draws for at least a year. Wednesday's match has a lot at stake.