SACKED boss Jose Mourinho is the biggest barrier between Tottenham and that elusive first trophy in more than a decade.
That is after Spurs qualified for Uefa’s new third-tier competition.
Two years after playing in the Champions League final, Spurs will be contesting the inaugural Uefa Conference League next term.
Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin today posed with the impressive-looking new trophy.
It brings European football back to having three competitions for the first time since the Cup Winners’ Cup was abolished in 1999.
And despite widespread mockery, it does present Tottenham with a genuine trophy chance – and the opportunity to repeat their 1972 achievement of winning European silverware in its first season in existence.
Back 49 years ago, Tottenham beat Wolves in a two-legged final after overcoming AC Milan in the semis.
And next term, Mourinho’s new Roma side are Italy’s representatives.
The Special One was axed at White Hart Lane on April 19, six days before the Carabao Cup final, and agreed to take over at the Serie A club two weeks later.
Unai Emery’s Villarreal are due to join them both in the final play-off round if they lose to Manchester United in Wednesday’s Europa League final.
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Union Berlin, whose previously full European experience was a short-lived Uefa Cup run in 2001, will be the German side in the competition.
Alongside them will be a host of minnows from across the continent with all 55 national associations represented.
Heavily linked with the Europa League, Conference League matches will also be played on Thursday nights.
The group stages shall see eight groups of four followed by two-legged last 16, quarters and semis.
If Spurs do go all the way, the final is due to be played in the Albanian capital Tirana next May.
Victory guarantees the Conference League winner a spot in the following season’s Europa League.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
