Showing posts with label UEFA Europa League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UEFA Europa League. Show all posts
Saturday, 29 August 2026
Saturday, 18 April 2026
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Thursday, 22 May 2025
SON HEUNG- MIN LIFTS 1ST TROPHY AS TOTTENHAM BEAT MAN UNITED FOR EUROPA LEAGUE TITLE
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- For the first time in his 15-year European career, Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean captain Son Heung-min can finally call himself a champion.
Tottenham defeated fellow Premier League side Manchester United 1-0 in the final of the UEFA Europa League at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, on Wednesday (local time). Brennan Johnson scored the match's only goal in the 42nd minute and Spurs held on tenaciously for their first trophy in 17 years.
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| Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur (L) battles Leny Yoro of Manchester United for the ball during the UEFA Europa League final at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, on May 21, 2025, in this Associated Press photo. (Yonhap) |
Son, who replaced Richarlison in the 67th minute, lifted the first trophy of his club career, which began in 2010 with Hamburger SV in Germany.
Son joined Spurs in 2015. He had played and lost in two major finals with the North London club -- at the 2019 UEFA Champions League and the 2021 English Football League (EFL) Cup. The team's most recent trophy before this week had come at the 2008 EFL Cup.
Johnson put Spurs on the board late in the first half when his shot, set up by a Pape Sarr cross, deflected off defender Luke Shaw on its way into the net.
Man United kept pushing for the equalizer that never came, as Spurs successfully locked things down in their own end in the second half.
Spurs dodged a couple of bullets. Defender Micky van de Ven cleared the ball heading into the gaping net with a dramatic volley above the goal line in the 68th minute. In the dying seconds, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made a match-saving stop on a header by Shaw.
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| Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur (R) is challenged by Patrick Dorgu of Manchester United during the UEFA Europa League final at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, on May 21, 2025, in this Associated Press photo. (Yonhap) |
- Yoo Jee-ho
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Friday, 9 May 2025
DETAILS OF THE 2024/25 EUROPEAN FINALS
🚨OFFICIAL: All the details of the 2024/25 European finals 🏆
🇫🇷 PSG - Paris Saint-Germain vs Inter 🇮🇹 — Champions League
📅 Saturday, May 31st
🏟️ Allianz Arena
🏴 Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur🏴 — Europa League
📅 Wednesday, May 21st
🏟️ Allianz Arena Mamis
🏴 Chelsea Football Club vs Real Betis Balompié 🇪🇸 — Conference League
📅 Wednesday, May 28
🏟️ Mieski Stadium.
Tuesday, 6 May 2025
UEFA DELETE SOCIAL MEDIA POST 'TROLLING' TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
UEFA have acted quickly after they unintentionally rubbed salt into the wounds of Tottenham Hotspur fans.
The official Europa League account on X posted a picture of Tottenham star James Maddison winking and giving a thumbs up to the camera.
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| The official Europa League account came under fire for this post of MaddisonCredit: @EuropaLeague - X |
But it seemed those behind the account were unaware Maddison was set for a prolonged period on the sidelines after he sustained a knee injury in the first leg of Tottenham's Europa League semi-final tie against Bodo/Glimt.
Maddison bagged the second goal in Tottenham's 3-1 victory over the Norwegian outfit before he was taken off injured in the 65th minute.
Football broadcaster and host of talkSPORT's Trans Europe Express Danny Kelly took note of the initial post and wrote: "W****** @UEFA trolling Spurs!"
Kelly was not the only one who vented their frustrations on social media as other football fans felt the post was in poor taste.
One said: "Is this legit? Surely an organising body shouldn't be flaunting the disappointment of one of the participant team's injured players? @EuropaLeague needs to apologise."
Another posted: "No dog in this fight, but what a disgusting tweet. I don't particularly like James Maddison, but seriously, the lad is out for the season and this is what come from an official @UEFA account? Disgusting."
However, someone at UEFA evidently realised the error of their ways as the post was eventually taken down.
Although Tottenham are yet to confirm the severity of Maddison's injury, talkSPORT understands the midfielder is not expected to play again this season.
Maddison and Dominic Solanke were left out of the Tottenham side that drew 1-1 with West Ham on Sunday and manager Ange Postecoglou divulged the former was 'more of a concern'.
"We're pretty hopeful with Dom that it will be OK, he's improving every day but it made no sense to bring him on today," Postecoglou said post-match.
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| Star midfielder Maddison went down in the second half against Bodo/GlimtCredit: Gett |
"Maddison's a bit more of a concern until we get some more information but he's the one that's more of a concern."
The 28-year-old has been a constant presence in Postecoglou's side this season having made 45 appearances across all competitions.
He also boasts 22 attacking contributions throughout the campaign having registered 12 goals and ten assists.
Maddison's tally of 22 contributions makes him Tottenham's equal-most productive player alongside Dominic Solanke and skipper Heung-min Son.
But he won't get a chance to add to that figure due to the knee injury.
The grim news of Maddison's injury comes as Postecoglou's side stand 90 minutes away from a berth in the Europa League final.
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| Postecoglou is two games away from ending Spurs' 16-year trophy droughtCredit: Getty |
Tottenham travel to Norway on Thursday for the second leg of their semi-final with a two-goal lead.
Progression to the Europa League final would mark the third final Tottenham have made since the 2018/19 campaign.
The north London side reached the final of the Champions League that season but fell short at the last hurdle against Liverpool.
Tottenham then made the final of the Carabao Cup in 2021, only to lose to Manchester City.
But should all go to plan on Thursday evening, Tottenham will have another chance to win their first piece of silverware since 2008.
- Alex Conrad
Friday, 18 April 2025
FLAWED MANCHESTER UNITED DELIVER CLASSIC EUROPA LEAGUE WIN TO REACH SEMIS
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| Getty Images |
MANCHESTER, England -- This isn't one of the great Manchester United teams, but they will always be remembered as serving up one of the club's greatest European nights.
United's history has plenty of huge Champions League occasions under the lights at Old Trafford. This wasn't one of them -- and yet it was still filled with enough ups and downs, excitement and drama to stand among those famous clashes with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
The most important bit: United punched past Lyon on Thursday to secure a spot in the Europa League semifinals, and they've kept their season alive still.
How they got there will become the stuff of legend for the fans who were lucky enough to have a ticket. Played out amid an electric atmosphere from start to finish, Ruben Amorim's team was cruising against Lyon at 2-0 up and was then pegged to 2-2.
A red card to Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso in regulation appeared to give United the advantage, only for Lyon to score twice in extra time to lead 4-2 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate to get to the brink of reaching the last four.
Then, chaos. United somehow lifted themselves off the canvas to score three times in seven inexplicable minutes.
After Bruno Fernandes' penalty, there were only 87 seconds between Kobbie Mainoo's goal to make it 4-4 and Harry Maguire's match-winner.
Every time the ball hit the net, the noise grew and grew until Maguire's header deep into stoppage time in extra time lifted the proverbial roof off the stadium. The home fans bounced around the stands and the substitutes sprinted from the bench across the pitch to join in with the celebrations.
When the final whistle blew a few moments later to seal a 5-4 win on the night and 7-6 on aggregate, there was a cheer so loud that it threatened to bring Old Trafford to the ground.
United want to move away from their home of the last 115 years and into a new, more modern, venue. When it comes time to leave and to remember the greatest matches ever played here, the Europa League tie against Lyon in April 2025 will have its place.
"The sounds of the stadium was the best ever," Amorim told TNT Sports. "Some people collect shirts, scarves, but I want to keep that sound, it's the best sound in the world. I feel for the people who had to leave at 4-2 because of the traffic, they will be gutted.
"We know we are underperforming and deserve all the critics, but we have time to make something special of this season. It was a great night, the team were tired, 4-2 with one more player, we think it's over, but here it's never over.
"Here everything is possible -- you feel the environment."
When the euphoria dies down and Amorim's heart rate finally settles, he will likely breathe a huge sigh of relief.
In the build-up before Thursday's game, he was clear about what winning the Europa League could do for his revolution. Lifting a trophy is one thing, but playing Champions League football next season will make a huge difference to his summer transfer budget as he attempts to revamp his squad -- a difference that is much needed.
The delirium of the night was only made possible because this United team is so flawed. How could they throw away a two-goal lead in normal time when they had such control? How could they then concede two goals in extra time against a Lyon team playing conservatively with 10 men and hoping for penalties?
These aren't questions for Amorim to answer after such a thrilling game, but they will have to be addressed eventually.
"We must recognize the context," admitted Amorim. "We lack a lot of characteristics in our team, physicality is a problem. When we play against European teams we can cope better with that; in the Premier League, we suffer a lot.
"One moment can change a lot of things in the players' minds -- we have to be really focused on the Europa League and take risks sometimes with kids in the Premier League. Fans have to understand that, we have to focus on the Europa League.
"Everybody in this moment believes it is possible [to win it]."
For now, the United coach can at least be happy that his players have the fight and character to give themselves a chance of getting their hands on some silverware in Bilbao on May 21.
First, there's a two-legged semifinal against Athletic Club to negotiate, and it will feel like a huge anticlimax to have gone to hell and back again against Lyon only to fall at the very next hurdle.
But then that is the beauty and the frustration of United this season. They are capable of beating Manchester City and losing to Wolves. They beat Arsenal and lost to West Ham.
The good, the bad and the ugly were all on show against Lyon to contribute to a game that will never be forgotten. It deserves to be part of a journey that leads to the Europa League final and a first trophy for United under Amorim.
But as he now understands better than anyone: With this Manchester United team, you just never know.
- Rob Dawson
Saturday, 1 February 2025
Friday, 10 May 2024
Tuesday, 19 March 2024
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