Tottenham clinched their first trophy in 17 years, defeating Manchester United in the Europa League final with a first-half goal from Brennan Johnson at Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium.
The victory delivered on head coach Ange Postecoglou’s promise to bring silverware in his second season, sparking joy among the 15,000 official and many unofficial Spurs fans in attendance.
Despite the triumph, Postecoglou’s future at Spurs remains uncertain, though he joins club legends Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw as a European trophy winner.
The win also secured a £100m boost for Tottenham through qualification for next season’s Champions League, following the example of rare trophy successes by clubs like Newcastle and Crystal Palace.
The decisive goal was scrappy, with debate over whether Johnson got the final touch after Pape Matar Sarr’s cross deflected off United’s Luke Shaw, wrong-footing goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Tottenham had no shots on target before or after the goal, but luck favored them in a tense match where both sides showed nerves from the start.
For Manchester United, the loss capped their worst season since the 1973-74 relegation campaign, raising doubts about head coach Ruben Amorim’s ability to turn the team around.
Despite ownership support, Amorim’s choice to start Mason Mount over Alejandro Garnacho faltered, and a subdued Bruno Fernandes couldn’t inspire a comeback.
United nearly equalized when Rasmus Hojlund’s header, following an error by Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, was cleared off the line by Micky van de Ven. Vicario later redeemed himself with a crucial late save on Shaw’s header.
Postecoglou, marking his 100th game as Spurs boss, maintained his record of winning a trophy in his second season, as he did with South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F Marinos, and Celtic. He also led Australia to the Asian Cup and Celtic to two Scottish titles.
For Tottenham, the first English club to win a European competition, this victory over an English opponent echoed their 1972 UEFA Cup triumph over Wolves.
For United, facing Aston Villa in their final Premier League match, the defeat offered no silver lining in a battle between the two lowest-placed teams ever to contest a European final.
