Europa League final: Victory for Spurs and vindication for Ange Postecoglou - but what comes next for fans?

Yahoo

22-05-2025

The Tottenham chant late into the Bilbao night was "Champions of Europe".
From fans who have endured years being laughed at over a lack of silverware.
The trophy drought count is over at 17 years after four losing finals.
All the torment turned to triumph by overcoming the once-mighty Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final.
It wasn't achieved by the club's all-time top scorer - coming two years after Harry Kane departed for Bayern Munich.
It wasn't achieved by one of the more illustrious managerial names who have tried and failed at Tottenham - from Jose Mourinho to Antonio Conte.
Instead, it was masterminded by Ange Postecoglou, the Greek-Australian manager who had never coached in England before arriving in the summer of 2023.
He arrived with a track record of winning silverware - a reputation in Australia, Japan and Scotland he felt went unappreciated in this new footballing environment.
Even on the eve of this final, he was bristling at a disparaging critique in one article by repeating the word: "I'm not a clown."
And even in his crowning career moment, the questions were about whether he will be kept on.
"Que sera, sera," he said before departing his news conference.
Whatever will be, will be.
But before then was a revelation, about not really even being rated by chairman Daniel Levy.
"I remember even when I signed the club, even Daniel, sort of said 'we went after winners, it didn't work, and now we've got Ange'.
"Mate, I'm a winner. I've been a serial winner my whole career. It's what I've done more than anything else.
"I know people talk about my football, which I'm very proud of, but I know people dismiss my achievements because they didn't happen on this side of the world.
"But for me, they're all hard-earned. All I've done my whole career is win things."
And he fulfilled a pledge to do so in his second season at Spurs.
Why are the 59-year-old's credentials to stay in the dugout being questioned?
Because Spurs head into Sunday's final match of the Premier League season just one place above the relegation zone, but at least sure of safety.
"I made a decision," he said reflecting on January, "this was the trophy we were gonna go for."
With 21 losses, this is Tottenham's worst-ever Premier League season. But it will still end with Champions League qualification, since winning Europe's second-tier competition secures promotion to the elite.
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It has also been Manchester United's worst season in five decades. With 18 defeats, they are only a place better off than Tottenham in the Premier League.
And Ruben Amorim's challenge rebuilding a squad inherited mid-season is made even harder by missing out on extra cash from European matches next season.
"If the board and the fans think I am not the right guy I will go the next day without any conversation about compensation," the Portuguese coach said. "But I will not quit. Again, I am really confident in my job and I will not change."
United - and Tottenham - have gone through so much change in recent years.
And change throughout their squads could be coming in the summer.
But for now it will be Tottenham parading a trophy they've waited so long to do after the breakthrough in Bilbao - their first European trophy in 41 years.