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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur has raised questions about the competitiveness and quality of Europe’s second-tier competition. The sides come into the decider of the auxiliary continental contest against a backdrop of horrendous form in the English Premier League.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The finalists have an identical record in the league over the past five matches – four defeats and a draw each. As a result, they languish just above the relegation zone, with Spurs in 17th spot on the table after a meagre haul of just 38 points from 37 matches.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Red Devils, who are one place above Spurs on the table, are only marginally better than the Londoners. United are on 39 points after 37 matches, in their worst season in decades.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That is the background as the two sides head to Bilbao for the Europa final on Wednesday night. Interestingly, even though a run of consecutive wins in the Premier League has been as mythical as a unicorn for the Red Devils this campaign, they arrive in the final undefeated in Europe this season.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spurs have been in similarly consistent form on their trek to the final, only losing twice in their 14 matches leading up to this stage of the competition.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2728742\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214538841.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1782\" height=\"1159\" /> <em>Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United during a Premier League match against West Ham United at Old Trafford on 11 May 2025. (Photo: Catherine Ivill – AMA / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2728741\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214902559.jpg\" alt=\"Europa Man United Spurs\" width=\"1738\" height=\"1191\" /> <em>Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur in action with Boubacar Kamara of Aston Villa during their Premier League match at Villa Park in Birmingham on 16 May 2025. (Photo: Molly Darlington / Copa / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n<h4><b>Not a good look</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These two English teams outlasting all their opponents to be the last sides standing raises some important questions. Is the standard of Europa League so poor that two teams languishing near the relegation zone in their league can be contesting its final?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What of the competition’s prestige, which has generally been nonexistent in any case? The Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) has tried to boost the profile of its auxiliary competition over the years.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes amending its rules in 2014 to allow winners of the Europa automatic passage into the European Champions League, regardless of where they place in their domestic leagues. The incentive will see Spurs or United playing in the world’s premier club competition next season, to the dismay of some people.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2728738\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214139687.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1789\" height=\"1138\" /> <em>Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim before his side’s Europa League semifinal second-leg match against Athletic Club at Old Trafford on 8 May 2025. (Photo: Visionhaus / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2728737\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214132471.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1792\" height=\"1154\" /> <em>Ange Postecoglou, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, looks on during their Europa League semifinal second-leg match against Bodo/Glimt at Aspmyra Stadion in Bodo, Norway, on 8 May 2025. (Photo: Justin Setterfield / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who recently argued that this rule erodes the prestige of the Champions League.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“[Winners of the Europa] should qualify automatically for the Europa League again but not necessarily for the Champions League,” Wenger argued on beIN Sports recently.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“On the other hand, people will tell you that to keep the Europa League participants focused, interesting and motivated you need to give them that prize (of qualifying for the Champions League),” he added.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Consolation prize</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, having United and Spurs fighting in the final (in spite of their domestic struggles) may also be a nod to the quality of the Premier League. Commercially, the English top-flight draws in billions of eyeballs globally, hence it is considered the best.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now the hierarchy of the league can also brag that two teams that have had awful individual campaigns in the league are duelling for European glory. But for the teams themselves, considering their high standards, success in the final will be a mini plaster on a gaping and bleeding wound. </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2728736\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214109981.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1146\" height=\"1749\" /> <em>Noussair Mazraoui of Manchester United and Maroan Sannadi of Athletic Club compete for the ball during their Europa League semifinal second-leg clash at Old Trafford on 8 May 2025. (Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It’s hard to speak about everything we need to change at this moment because we need to be excited and confident for the final, but we already know the problems we have,” United manager Ruben Amorim said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There are a lot of things we need to change in our club. It’s hard to point to one thing. That will not be solved by winning a cup. I will say it again, for me we have bigger things to deal with to put this club back to the top,” the Portuguese tactician added.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amorim’s sentiments were reinforced by his compatriot and Red Devils captain Bruno Fernandes, who said that if the team wins in Bilbao, it would mean they have been successful only in the Europa, but overall, they’ve had a season to forget.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> “Obviously we know we talk about the Europa League and Europa League is everything that is in our minds because we will play the final tomorrow, but that only means that we were successful in this tournament,” Fernandes stated. “In the Premier League we haven’t been as good as we want.”</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2728732\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2213131684.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1774\" height=\"1129\" /> <em>James Maddison of Tottenham and Villads Nielsen of Bodo-Glimt during their Europa League quarterfinal second-leg match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on 1 May 2025. (Photo: Jean Catuffe / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2728729\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2213234444.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1734\" height=\"1157\" /> <em>Yves Bissouma of Tottenham Hotspur in action against Jens Petter Hauge of Bodo/Glimt during their Europa League match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 1 May 2025. (Photo: Marc Atkins / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Spurs camp there has been less self-criticism, despite the London team being on course for its worst finish in the Premier League era.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager Ange Postecoglou has acknowledged that where they find themselves on the log table is not good enough. Within that, though, he has pointed out that Spurs are in line to win their first major trophy since lifting the Carabao Cup in 2008 – an achievement he hopes might save his job. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There are so many years without winning a trophy. If I was worried about my tenure with this club, it’s fair to say that we wouldn’t be in this position, because I would have been too distracted with unimportant things,” Postecoglou said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“My job here is not done. I really feel like we were building something here and what a trophy does is hopefully accelerate this,” the Australian added.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final kicks off at 9pm on Wednesday, 21 May. It will be a roller coaster match for the clubs’ fans as they hope to celebrate a consolatory victory after their teams’ horrendous seasons. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur has raised questions about the competitiveness and quality of Europe’s second-tier competition. The sides come into the decider of the auxiliary continental contest against a backdrop of horrendous form in the English Premier League.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The finalists have an identical record in the league over the past five matches – four defeats and a draw each. As a result, they languish just above the relegation zone, with Spurs in 17th spot on the table after a meagre haul of just 38 points from 37 matches.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Red Devils, who are one place above Spurs on the table, are only marginally better than the Londoners. United are on 39 points after 37 matches, in their worst season in decades.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That is the background as the two sides head to Bilbao for the Europa final on Wednesday night. Interestingly, even though a run of consecutive wins in the Premier League has been as mythical as a unicorn for the Red Devils this campaign, they arrive in the final undefeated in Europe this season.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spurs have been in similarly consistent form on their trek to the final, only losing twice in their 14 matches leading up to this stage of the competition.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2728742\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1782\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2728742\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214538841.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1782\" height=\"1159\" /> <em>Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United during a Premier League match against West Ham United at Old Trafford on 11 May 2025. (Photo: Catherine Ivill – AMA / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2728741\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1738\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2728741\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214902559.jpg\" alt=\"Europa Man United Spurs\" width=\"1738\" height=\"1191\" /> <em>Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur in action with Boubacar Kamara of Aston Villa during their Premier League match at Villa Park in Birmingham on 16 May 2025. (Photo: Molly Darlington / Copa / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n<h4><b>Not a good look</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These two English teams outlasting all their opponents to be the last sides standing raises some important questions. Is the standard of Europa League so poor that two teams languishing near the relegation zone in their league can be contesting its final?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What of the competition’s prestige, which has generally been nonexistent in any case? The Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) has tried to boost the profile of its auxiliary competition over the years.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes amending its rules in 2014 to allow winners of the Europa automatic passage into the European Champions League, regardless of where they place in their domestic leagues. The incentive will see Spurs or United playing in the world’s premier club competition next season, to the dismay of some people.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2728738\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1789\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2728738\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214139687.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1789\" height=\"1138\" /> <em>Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim before his side’s Europa League semifinal second-leg match against Athletic Club at Old Trafford on 8 May 2025. (Photo: Visionhaus / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2728737\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1792\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2728737\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214132471.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1792\" height=\"1154\" /> <em>Ange Postecoglou, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, looks on during their Europa League semifinal second-leg match against Bodo/Glimt at Aspmyra Stadion in Bodo, Norway, on 8 May 2025. (Photo: Justin Setterfield / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who recently argued that this rule erodes the prestige of the Champions League.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“[Winners of the Europa] should qualify automatically for the Europa League again but not necessarily for the Champions League,” Wenger argued on beIN Sports recently.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“On the other hand, people will tell you that to keep the Europa League participants focused, interesting and motivated you need to give them that prize (of qualifying for the Champions League),” he added.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Consolation prize</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, having United and Spurs fighting in the final (in spite of their domestic struggles) may also be a nod to the quality of the Premier League. Commercially, the English top-flight draws in billions of eyeballs globally, hence it is considered the best.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now the hierarchy of the league can also brag that two teams that have had awful individual campaigns in the league are duelling for European glory. But for the teams themselves, considering their high standards, success in the final will be a mini plaster on a gaping and bleeding wound. </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2728736\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1146\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2728736\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2214109981.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1146\" height=\"1749\" /> <em>Noussair Mazraoui of Manchester United and Maroan Sannadi of Athletic Club compete for the ball during their Europa League semifinal second-leg clash at Old Trafford on 8 May 2025. (Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It’s hard to speak about everything we need to change at this moment because we need to be excited and confident for the final, but we already know the problems we have,” United manager Ruben Amorim said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There are a lot of things we need to change in our club. It’s hard to point to one thing. That will not be solved by winning a cup. I will say it again, for me we have bigger things to deal with to put this club back to the top,” the Portuguese tactician added.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amorim’s sentiments were reinforced by his compatriot and Red Devils captain Bruno Fernandes, who said that if the team wins in Bilbao, it would mean they have been successful only in the Europa, but overall, they’ve had a season to forget.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> “Obviously we know we talk about the Europa League and Europa League is everything that is in our minds because we will play the final tomorrow, but that only means that we were successful in this tournament,” Fernandes stated. “In the Premier League we haven’t been as good as we want.”</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2728732\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1774\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2728732\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2213131684.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1774\" height=\"1129\" /> <em>James Maddison of Tottenham and Villads Nielsen of Bodo-Glimt during their Europa League quarterfinal second-leg match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on 1 May 2025. (Photo: Jean Catuffe / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2728729\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1734\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2728729\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2213234444.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1734\" height=\"1157\" /> <em>Yves Bissouma of Tottenham Hotspur in action against Jens Petter Hauge of Bodo/Glimt during their Europa League match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 1 May 2025. (Photo: Marc Atkins / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Spurs camp there has been less self-criticism, despite the London team being on course for its worst finish in the Premier League era.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager Ange Postecoglou has acknowledged that where they find themselves on the log table is not good enough. Within that, though, he has pointed out that Spurs are in line to win their first major trophy since lifting the Carabao Cup in 2008 – an achievement he hopes might save his job. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There are so many years without winning a trophy. If I was worried about my tenure with this club, it’s fair to say that we wouldn’t be in this position, because I would have been too distracted with unimportant things,” Postecoglou said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“My job here is not done. I really feel like we were building something here and what a trophy does is hopefully accelerate this,” the Australian added.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final kicks off at 9pm on Wednesday, 21 May. It will be a roller coaster match for the clubs’ fans as they hope to celebrate a consolatory victory after their teams’ horrendous seasons. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"summary": "On Wednesday night two teams who have toiled in the Premier League, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, will battle for European glory.",
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Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United during a Premier League match against West Ham United at Old Trafford on 11 May 2025. (Photo: Catherine Ivill – AMA / Getty Images)
Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur in action with Boubacar Kamara of Aston Villa during their Premier League match at Villa Park in Birmingham on 16 May 2025. (Photo: Molly Darlington / Copa / Getty Images)
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim before his side’s Europa League semifinal second-leg match against Athletic Club at Old Trafford on 8 May 2025. (Photo: Visionhaus / Getty Images)
Ange Postecoglou, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, looks on during their Europa League semifinal second-leg match against Bodo/Glimt at Aspmyra Stadion in Bodo, Norway, on 8 May 2025. (Photo: Justin Setterfield / Getty Images)
Noussair Mazraoui of Manchester United and Maroan Sannadi of Athletic Club compete for the ball during their Europa League semifinal second-leg clash at Old Trafford on 8 May 2025. (Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images)
James Maddison of Tottenham and Villads Nielsen of Bodo-Glimt during their Europa League quarterfinal second-leg match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on 1 May 2025. (Photo: Jean Catuffe / Getty Images)
Yves Bissouma of Tottenham Hotspur in action against Jens Petter Hauge of Bodo/Glimt during their Europa League match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 1 May 2025. (Photo: Marc Atkins / Getty Images)