Europa League final: It’s all or nothing for Man United and Tottenham

Bilbao: It’s all or nothing when Manchester United and Tottenham meet in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

For the winners of the all-English showdown in Bilbao there is the mother of all get-out-of-jail-free cards with entry to the Champions League.

For the losers, the abyss of no European football next year, the indignity of so many unwanted records broken, and uncertainty hanging over the futures of those who have presided over such a spectacular fall. That’s what’s on the line at Estadio de San Mamés when two English giants get one last shot at salvaging the season.

Long gone are the days when United dominated the Premier League and challenged the summit of European football on a regular basis. But even after 12 years without winning the English title, this season has represented a new low.

United are 16th out of 20 in the standings after a club-record 18 defeats in a single campaign since the Premier League began in 1992. They are also certain to register their worst-ever points total in the era, as well as its lowest finish.

“We know this season has been nowhere near good enough for this club and for our standards,” United defender Harry Maguire says.

Tottenham are one place below United having lost 21 times in the league — also a club record in the modern era.

Spurs — Champions League runners-up in 2019 — are aiming for a first trophy since the 2008 English League Cup. It is rare that such a major final has so much riding on it beyond the trophy itself.

Neither team has looked capable of challenging for a top five position in the Premier League, which would secure Champions League qualification. But in a season when both teams occupy the last safe spots before relegation, they have a mind-boggling lifeline to the Champions League via the Europa League. The UCL offers the prestige of playing beside teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona, draws prospective signings, and comes with huge financial rewards.