Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United face-off in an all-English Europa League final at San Mames in Bilbao.
Both teams will be looking to save their season with an European title, following a poor run in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim’s United are 16th on the table, while Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs are just behind them in 17th.
The 2025 Europa final in Bilbao, which is the 7th final to be played in Spain is expected to hold huge weight for both sides.
It is also the first time an English team will be featuring in an Europa final in Spain. However, a victory for any side still means an English success on Spanish ground as both teams are from England.
Meanwhile, the first final on a Spanish territory was in the 1976-77 campaign, at Estadio de San Mames. The final, a two-legged game was between Juventus and Athletic Bilbao, with the former winning on away goal.
Santiago Bernabeu hosted the second and the third final played on a Spanish territory in 1984-85 and 1985-86. Owner, Real Madrid won both finals against Videoton and Cologne respectively.
During the 1987-88 campaign, Sarria, the former stadium of Espanyol, hosted the Europa League final, between Bayer Leverkusen and Espanyol. However, the German side won on penalties.
Estadio La Cartuja of Seville, hosted the fifth UEFA Cup final on Spanish ground in 2003. It was the first single-match final format to be held in Spain since the change in 1997. Porto went on to win the game, defeating Scottish side, Celtic, 3-2.
Following the change of the tournament from UEFA Cup to UEFA Europa League, the first final in Spain was in 2022, between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers. Oliver Glasner’s Frankfurt side won the game on penalties, after playing a 1-1 draw.
The 2024/25 Europa League final will be the seventh final in Spain, and second to be held at the Estadio de San Mames.
It will also be the sixth time two English teams will meet in an European final.
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