TOPSHOT - Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean forward #07 Son Heung-min raises the trophy as he celebrates with teammates winning the UEFA Europa League final football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at San Mames stadium in Bilbao on May 21, 2025. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
Son Heung-min lifts the Europa League trophy as Spurs end their long wait for silverware (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
The game was rubbish. The goal was rubbish. Even Brennan Johnson’s botched knee-slide celebration was rubbish. Do Spurs care? Do they heck. Does Ange Postecoglou? Nah, mate.
Winning the Europa League is huge for Tottenham. Last time they won a European trophy, Duran Duran were No.1 and last time they won anything, Archie Gray was not even two. Long story short… it’s been a while.
The collective sigh of relief from everyone of a Lilywhite persuasion probably affected weather patterns. The ever-growing monkey they’ve been carrying like a malevolent backpack had reached King Kong proportions. It’s now taken a metaphorical tumble from the Empire State and Spurs will feel a whole lot better for it.
FBL-EUR-C3-TOTTENHAM-MAN UTD
Brennan Johnson pokes home the all-important winner (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
With the dust still settling on the scrappy, scruffy win over Manchester United (and metaphorical monkey tumble), it’s hard not to feel relieved for Spurs and pleased for the likes of Son Heung-min, unless you’re Arsenal, West Ham or Chelsea, of course. Or United. Or one of their many other rivals. It’d be weird if you did.
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But on a human level the white half of north London, who now even have a Spurs bus parade to enjoy, have suffered more than their share of embarrassments.
And while United have also had a stinker of a season they have won a bucketload of trophies since Ledley King lifted the League Cup in 2008. It feels potentially seismic for Tottenham in a way it wouldn’t have for United, notwithstanding how significant it would have been for Ruben Amorim.
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - UEFA Europa League Final 2025
A grinning Ange Postecoglou gets his hands on the Europa League trophy (Picture: Getty Images)
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Intangibles aside, it helps with recruitment. Yes it’s slightly farcical the team one place outside the drop zone is heading into the Champions League but them’s the rules and everyone knew them at the start of the season. Being there makes a huge difference to their pulling power.
But it is the vagaries that could matter more in the long run. Getting over the line thanks to an untidy Johnson goal and surviving a couple of big scares is decidedly un-Spursy.
The whole point of cup finals is to win them and when your recent record in them is as poor as Tottenham’s, that really was all that mattered this week.
Postecoglou spoke straight after the game about the belief the club can take from getting their hands on a trophy and how the unquenched thirst for silverware had made it too easy for everyone to take potshots at them.
Could this herald a new era for Spurs? Will Ange even be there to usher it in? Hard to say. But a win’s a win and Spurs fans I know don’t give a metaphorical monkeys how scruffily it was achieved.
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