Champions League

RUBEN AMORIM will be handed a £100million war chest this summer, even if Manchester United LOSE the Europa League final.Man Utd are up against Tottenham for the showpiece final in Bilbao tonight.Ruben Amorim will be given a £100m war chest even if Man Utd lose the Europa League finalCredit: GettyOnly four players are deemed untouchable at the club, including Bruno Fernandes and Amad DialloCredit: AFPLeny Yoro’s impressive debut season means the club has no intention to accept an offer for himCredit: GettyHarry Maguire has become a key figure in the heart of Man Utd’s defenceCredit: PAWinning the final doesn’t just bring European glory, but also a spot in the Champions League worth a tidy £100m through ticket sales, broadcast money and sponsor bonuses.Cash-strapped Man Utd have undergone a ruthless cull, cutting staff numbers from around 1,100 to around 700, since the arrival of minority owners Ineos.Those savings, albeit meagre compared to what could be saved when the contracts in the underperforming squad are sorted out, mean the club can equip Amorim with a transfer kitty of £100m before sales.According to The Times, there is belief the sales of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony could raise close to £100m.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLRed Devils transfer chiefs are also willing to consider the sales of exciting youngsters Kobbie Mainoo or Alejandro Garnacho, with the latter of the pair said to be the closest of the two to an exit.However, Man Utd want to keep both and will only accept a deal if a “substantial” offer is made for one of them.It is also believed the likes of Altay Bayindir will be moved on to make way for a new goalkeeper to rival Andre Onana as the club’s No1.Indeed, there are only four players who are said to be untouchable at Old Trafford: Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo, Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire.Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Old TraffordFernandes’ performances speak for themselves with 38 goal contributions this season, while Amad, Yoro and Maguire have all impressed across the season.Club bosses are also firmly behind manager Amorim, with Ineos said to even be willing to try and talk him around if he was to try and walk away – though there is no suggestion he would.BATTLE FOR BILBAO: The Road to the Europa League FinalAfter the final game of the season against Aston Villa on Sunday, Amorim and the squad will travel to Asia for a controversial post-season tour of Malaysia and Hong Kong.On the tour, Amorim said: “We are going to take all the team, young kids also, and we’ll have the staff there. We have [had] a lot of changes in the staff, so we are trying to build something as a family.”Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. are said to have full belief that with a full pre-season under the former Sporting Lisbon boss, Man Utd will start making moves back towards being truly successful again.Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clashAs well as trying to better gel the squad, Amorim is expected to welcome some new recruits when pre-season gets underway fully as Man Utd transfer chiefs look to quickly move for some fresh faces.Man Utd are said to be ready to trigger the £62.5m release clause of Wolves’ Matheus Cunha next week, while club bosses have also held face to face talks with Ipswich ace Liam Delap.Further recruits are expected to occur in central midfield, at wing-back and goalkeeper, while Amorim himself appeared to suggest he wanted to add another centre-half next season.Read More on The SunThe summer recruitment will be led by technical director Jason Wilcox, who replaced Dan Ashworth in the role after his unexpected departure six months ago.Ineos are said to be happy with his work so far and there are no plans to replace him despite the likes of Luis Campos being linked with the director of football role.MAN UTD VS TOTTENHAM – EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL LIVELatest betting odds, offers and predictions More

OLIVER GLASNER and Xavi top the betting to become the next Tottenham Hotspur manager.Bookmakers talkSPORT BET can’t split the pair as the 4/1 joint-favourites to replace Ange Postecoglou – irrespective of how tonight’s Europa League final pans out.FA Cup winning boss Oliver Glasner is the frontrunner alongside Barca legend, XaxiCredit: EPAXavi has been out of work after being axed by Barcelona last MayCredit: APTottenham’s run to the final has been terrific, though a far cry from the domestic woes.Only the three, poor relegated sides sit below them in the Premier League table ahead of the final day.They’ve lost more Premier League games (21) so far than they have had wins and draws (11, 5) COMBINED.Though it’s also right to point out their injury record has been astonishing at times, with players forced to play out of position in what has been a hectic schedule.Postecoglou has had to fight his corner for much of the second half of this season, though even if winning in Bilbao tonight, it would appear the writing is on the wall that he won’t be here next season.Who are the favourites for the Spurs job?The talkSPORT BET betting markets have Oliver Glasner and Xavi (4/1) at the top of the next Spurs manager market.Glasner’s stock couldn’t be higher after leading Crystal Palace to their first ever major trophy at Wembley this season.Next Tottenham manager oddsLatest odds from talkSPORT BETOliver Glasner – 4/1Xavi Hernandez – 4/1Scott Parker – 5/1Thomas Frank – 6/1Francesco Farioli – 6/1Mauricio Pochettino – 8/1Andoni Iraola – 10/1Kieran McKenna – 10/1Roberto De Zerbi – 10/1Marco Silva – 12/1While Xavi has remained out of work since getting the bullet as Barcelona boss at the tail-end of last season.Scott Parker (5/1) is understood to be highly thought of in the Spurs hierarchy having guided Burnley back to the Premier League for next year and he’s just ahead of Brentford boss Thomas Frank (6/1), who is destined for a really top job soon.Frank is the same price as Francesco Farioli, who recently left Ajax after a complete collapse in the Eredivisie left them as runners-up to PSV despite holding a huge advantage in the closing weeks.Mauricio Pochettino is 8/1 to make his return to Tottenham, just ahead of Andoni Iraola, Kieran McKenna and Roberto De Zerbi all at 10/1.Remember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – gamcare.org.ukGambleAware – GambleAware.orgRead our guide on responsible gambling practices.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites. More

MANY thought Ange Postecoglou was undefeated against Manchester United going into the Europa League final.But a forgotten game has since come to light hours before his Tottenham side take on the Red Devils in Bilbao.It turns out Ange Postecoglou HAS lost to Man Utd before as forgotten match comes to lightPostecoglou lost 2-0 to Sir Alex Ferguson’s outfit just over 25 years agoIndeed, since joining Tottenham in the summer of 2023, Ange has remained unbeaten against Man Utd.In fact, the Aussie has overseen FOUR wins in five matches, with the other being a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford in January 2024.And much of the pre-match final talk has centred around the fact that Ange has three straight wins over them this season alone.But it turns out the Spurs manager, 59, has previously suffered defeat to the football powerhouse that is Man Utd.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSA then 34-year-old Postecoglou lost 2-0 to Sir Alex Ferguson’s outfit just over 25 years ago, in his first managerial job.His semi-final professional side South Melbourne lost at the Maracana at the Fifa Club World Championship in 2000.This was a Red Devils side that had just won a famous treble and notably withdrew from the FA Cup to compete at the tournament instead.A brace from Quinton Fortune after just 20 minutes decided the match. But this time, Ange isn’t necessarily the underdog.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSPostecoglou will be hoping to turn the tables as he looks to face off against Ruben Amorim’s sorry outfit on Wednesday. Both teams have endured their worst Premier League seasons in recent memory, suffering 39 league defeats between them.Ange Postecoglou fumes after being labelled a ‘clown’ and refuses to answer question during press conferenceSouth Melbourne lost 2-0 at the Fifa Club World Championship in 2000Postecoglou opened up about his first run-in with United before Spurs travelled to little-out Tamworth in the FA Cup this season.He said: “We ended up playing Man United and we were a semi-pro team, playing against the great Manchester United.“Qualifying for that tournament probably destroyed our domestic season because from the moment we qualified our players just didn’t want to risk getting injured and were just not interested in our league season.“We had a disaster that season, they just didn’t want to miss out on playing.“Some of my players, who were semi-pro but good footballers, probably played the games of their lives that day.”But the former Celtic manager fumed on Tuesday and hit back at a report calling him “a clown”.He will have the chance to win Spurs’ first trophy in 17 years on Wednesday night.MAN UTD VS TOTTENHAM – EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL LIVELatest betting odds, offers and predictions More

MANCHESTER United and Tottenham Spurs fans are guzzling pints and partying on the streets of Bilbao in the run up to the season-saving Europa League final.Up to 70,000 footie fans have flocked from the UK to sunny Bilbao where spirits are at an all-time high – despite some taking a 32-hour ferry ride to get there.Fans gather ahead of the UEFA Europa League Final football matchCredit: GettySpurs and and Manchester Utd fans in Bilbao ahead of tonight’s matchCredit: Darren FletcherA Manchester United fan waves a flare in Plaza Nueva squareCredit: PATottenham Hotspur fan Jangwon Son plays the trumpet ahead of the UEFA Europa League FinalCredit: GettyBilbao bars have been flooded with Brit fans chanting and drinking ahead of the anticipated final tonight.Both sets of supporters have been pictured marching through the streets, chanting songs with drinks in hand as they gear up for the Europa League final.Images show one Spurs fan playing the trumpet for gargantuan crowds, while Man United supporters hold up their beers to cheers. Footage taken by The Sun showed fans filling the streets, with around 70,000 fans thought to have flocked to Spain – despite the stadium being at 53,000-capacity.read more on the finalSome have braved an epic 32-hour-plus ferry ride which set sail at 10pm on Sunday evening and didn’t arrive until this morning.With flights to Spain rocketing over £1,000 after the Prem teams sealed their final spots, many took advantage of the cheaper sea-route option, which set them back £260 for a cabin.The sky-high air prices are due to just six direct flights from Britain to the Basque region’s industrial port city each day.And with only 65 hotels in Spain’s tenth largest city, accommodation has been fully-booked for weeks.Most read in FootballEach club has millions of fans across the globe, but since there are just 14,000 tickets allocated to each team, bagging a seat to the showpiece event has been a tricky task.On Sunday night, precious tickets to the big game were selling on the black market for up to £10,000.Tottenham Hotspur fans standing on top of traffic lightsCredit: GettySpurs fans holding up their pintsCredit: ReutersManchester United gather in BilbaoCredit: ReutersBoth sets of supporters have been pictured marching through the streetsCredit: GettyEasyJet was charging £1,823 to fly from Gatwick to Bilbao on Wednesday morning and return on Thursday morning, while the cheapest hotels for Wednesday night cost around £1,200.But for those fans who managed to snap up the golden tickets, footage has shown them enjoying themselves.Despite dismal Premier League seasons – United finishing 16th in the table and Spurs in 17th, perilously close to the relegation zone – die-hard supporters were emptying their bank accounts and flocking to Bilbao.Aside from European glory, the victorious team qualifies for next season’s cash-riddled Champions League, worth a cool £100m to the club lifting the prized trophy.The travel chaos endured by thousands of footie fans has mirrored the 1987 American road trip comedy movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy.Spurs fan John Affleck of Enfield, Herts., was today enjoying local delicacy pintxos – snacks on a slice of bread resembling an open sandwich – washed down with Sangria.He told The Sun: “I flew to Madrid then got the train down. There are no hotel rooms so I’m bunking up with a pal on his hotel floor.”The trip will cost me more than £5,000. I’m broke, but I really don’t care. We just need to win.”Manchester United fans in high spirits ahead of tonightCredit: PAFans drinking beer before the UEFA Europa League FinalCredit: AlamyFans of Tottenham Hotspur gather to show their support to their teamFans have filled the streetsCredit: GettyFrank Johns, a Red Devils season ticket holder, jetted out yesterday from Heathrow via Schiphol in Amsterdam.He said: “It has been a pitiful season but none of that will matter if we lift the trophy.”Under-fire Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou face the chop if they don’t prevail in the final – cruelly dubbed “El Crapico” by rival fans and pundits.Amorim masterminded Manchester United’s 7-1 semi-final demolition of ten-man Athletic Bilbao.And Postecoglou guided his Tottenham team to a 5-1 triumph over Norwegians Bodo/Glimt in the other to set up the all-English final.Tottenham were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final, while Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1 in the Europa League final in the same year.United beat Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final and Spurs KO’d Wolves to win the 1972 Uefa Cup.Tottenham have already beaten the Manchester outfit on three occasions this season – twice in the league and once in the Carabao Cup.Read More on The SunThey are looking to end a trophy drought that dates back to 2008 and has hung over the club – to the delight of opposing fans.United meanwhile have continued to be dire in the Prem with Amorim claiming his side are “not ready” to be competitive domestically and in the Champions League.Footie fanatics get the party started earlyBy Sun man in Bilbao, Dave CourtnadgeIT’S barely midday in Bilbao on the day before the Europa League final between Manchester United and Spurs – but it’s already getting lively.I arrived in the city at about 9am after a 32-HOUR ferry ride from Portsmouth.And the first thing a lot of fellow fans planned to do was find a pub for a well-earned drink.Walking around the area around the San Mames stadium this morning, a fair few others had the same idea.Many have had long journeys, stopping off overnight in another city to keep down the soaring cost of getting here, with some direct flights over £1,000.So it’s no surprise many are already getiing the party started, or the Bilbao leg of the party anyway.Spurs fan Gary, who flew out from London before an overnight stay in a Madrid hotel resembling a “prison cell”, joked as he supped a pint in the sun: “I’m just getting some practice in for tomorrow.”The atmosphere has been brilliant so far, and hopefully that will continue.There had been claims that Spurs fans are set to outnumber United fans by 5 to 1, with an estimated 50,000 supporters of the two English sides expected to arrive.One Tottenham follower I spoke to joked that they had bought all the flights out of London to keep the Reds out.Based on the number of Spurs shirts I’ve already seen, he might be right. 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