Spurs clinch Europa League after scrappy 1-0 affair with United
dpa
Berlin
Brennan Johnson's goal helped Tottenham Hotspur end their trophy drought with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the all-English Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday.
The victory for Spurs means a spot in next season's Champions League alongside five other English teams despite languishing down in 17th in the Premier League - one place above the drop zone.
United, 16th domestically, will finish their worst season in decades without a trophy nor European qualification having otherwise gone unbeaten in Europe's secondary club competition this campaign.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou made a point this term of saying he always won trophies in his second seasons in his native Australia, in Japan and in Scotland.
And a 17-year wait for a major trophy for Spurs, following an English League Cup triumph in 2008, ended when a combination of Johnson and United defender Luke Shaw deflected in Pape Sarr's cross at the near post on 42 minutes.
'It is an unbelievable feeling,' Spurs defender Micky van de Ven told RTL. 'The fans deserve this for their support week after week. The fans are this club. We defended so well.'
Postecoglou sprang a surprise before kick-off when he left captain Son Heung Min initially on the bench and Richarlison was preferred on the left for Spurs, who won this trophy in 1972 and 1984.
United, who had Leny Yoro fit again but Manuel Ugarte only as a substitute as Mason Mount started, were back in the Basque Country just weeks after the semi-final win over Athletic Bilbao.
Lacked quality Spurs made the better start amid a feverish atmosphere inside San Mames, which along with its predecessor stadium is known as being the most 'English' of Spanish grounds.
United, the 2017 Europa League champions who also lost the 2021 final, improved and Amad Diallo fired just wide on 16 minutes.
The rest of the first half was full of niggly fouls and lacked quality until Wales forward Johnson - Spurs' top scorer in all competitions this term with 18 - bundled in the opener.
The second half was also scrappy and Spurs held on, with Rasmus Højlund going close for United when his header was acrobatically cleared off the line by Van de Ven.
Guglielmo Vicario also made a superb save at the death from Shaw.
United coach Ruben Amorim arrived in November after replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag and masterminded a string of exciting Europa League wins - topped by a remarkable comeback in the quarter-final against Lyon.
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