UEFA make decision on moving Europa League final after Man United and Tottenham both advance

UEFA have made their decision about moving the Europa League final to England clear with both Manchester United and Spurs set to feature.

On Thursday evening, Spurs secured their first Europa League final appearance in over four decades, achieving a 5-1 victory on aggregate against the Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt.

Meanwhile, their rivals United achieved a commanding 7-1 aggregate victory over Athletic Club, leading to an all-English Europa League final at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao. With both Premier League teams reaching the final, some fans urged UEFA to relocate the final to England, and a decision has now been made.

Both United and Spurs have faced disappointing seasons, currently positioned 15th and 16th in the Premier League, respectively, making the Europa League final a crucial opportunity for redemption. However, despite the significance of the match for the two English clubs, the final will remain in Bilbao, as the San Mames stadium was awarded hosting rights back in 2021.

The stadium, home to Athletic Club, has a capacity of 53,289, which is anticipated to fall short of the ticket demand from supporters of both Manchester United and Spurs. Each club will receive 15,000 tickets for their fans, with an additional 11,000 tickets available for general sale, while the remaining tickets will be allocated to hospitality and sponsors.

Had UEFA opted to move the final to England, they could have utilized the 90,000 capacity of Wembley Stadium, which is instead scheduled to host Non-League Finals Day on May 21.

This is not the first instance of UEFA making such a decision; in recent years, all-English European finals have consistently taken place in foreign venues, with the host stadium determined well in advance of the finalists being known.

In the 2021 Champions League final, Chelsea triumphed over Manchester City at Porto’s Estadio do Dragao, while Liverpool secured the 2019 Champions League title at Madrid’s Metropolitano, and Chelsea defeated Arsenal in the 2019 Europa League final held at the Baku National Stadium.