James Maddison ‘absolutely gutted’ as Tottenham react Europa League final
James Maddison has admitted that he is upset after Tottenham reached the UEFA Europa League.
Spurs beat Bodo/Glimt 2-0 away from home in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final on Thursday (8 May) to win the tie 5-1 on aggregate.
With that, Tottenham have booked their place in the Europa League final in Bilbao on 21 May, when they will lock horns with Manchester United at San Mames.
Therefore, Ange Postecoglou has the opportunity to keep his promise of delivering a trophy in his second season in charge of a team, but not everyone is happy.
Maddison makes ‘cruel’ injury admission at Tottenham
Maddison is set to miss the Europa League final, although it is still two weeks away, after picking up a knee injury last week.
The England international scored in Spurs’ 3-1 win against Bodo/Glimt in the first leg, but has since been sidelined with a knee injury.
That issue is set to keep him out for the rest of the season, thus delivering a crushing blow to the 28-year-old.
| Matches | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Minutes |
| 45 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 2717′ |
Reacting to Tottenham qualifying for the final, Maddison admitted that he is ‘absolutely gutted’ with his situation.
The midfielder explained that winning the Europa League has been a collective ambition for everyone at Spurs and expects the game to be ‘special’ for the North London giants.
“Gutted. Just absolutely gutted”, Maddison wrote on Instagram (9 May).
“We’ve had our sights on that European final in Bilbao from day one of this campaign.
“So to accept not being able to take part out on that pitch with the boys is really tough to take.
“Injuries are just part of this game that can be so cruel at times. But I truly believe that it can be a special night for my football club.
“Bring on the 21st. All together.”
Jordan Henderson sends message to Maddison
The emotional social media drew instant reactions from many of Maddison’s teammates, including Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro.
The Tottenham players extended their support towards the former Norwich star, while the fans expressed their desire to see Spurs win the Europa League for him.
Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson was among those who sent a message to Maddison, posting a black heart emoji in response to the Instagram post.
Tottenham notably have two Premier League games before the final in Bilbao, and Postecoglou will be hopeful of using those fixtures to build some momentum.
The Lilywhites will begin that with a home game against Crystal Palace on Sunday (11 May) before locking horns with Aston Villa at Villa Park next Friday (16 May).