UEFA issues warning as thousands of Tottenham and Man Utd fans travel to Bilbao
Tottenham and Manchester United fans have been issued a warning by UEFA as they travel to Bilbao for the Europa League final.
Tottenham have been eagerly anticipating this fixture, with the unwelcome noise of the North London club’s 21st Premier League loss of the campaign against Aston Villa (16 May) firmly in the background.
Fans are expected to descend on the Basque capital in droves, hoping to witness Tottenham lift their first European trophy since 1984.
UEFA officials have already met with Spurs officials to discuss fan safety and protocol, and the governing body have now issued an update just days ahead of the final, which will take place at the Estadio de San Mamés on Wednesday (21 May).
UEFA issues ticket warning ahead of Tottenham v Man United
Tottenham and Manchester United will likely be frustrated by the fact that they must travel to Spain for an all-English final, with previous suggestions that the Europa League final could be moved.
The contest will be just the sixth European final that will feature two English clubs, and remarkably, Spurs have been involved in half of those contests.
Calls have been made to move the final to home soil, particularly since UEFA holds the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in high regard [The Independent].
| Competition | Clubs involved | Year |
| UEFA Cup | Tottenham v Wolves | 1972 |
| Champions League | Manchester United v Chelsea | 2008 |
| Europa League | Chelsea v Arsenal | 2019 |
| Champions League | Tottenham v Liverpool | 2019 |
| Champions League | Chelsea v Manchester City | 2021 |
UEFA added insult to injury by allocating Tottenham and Manchester United just 15,000 seats each for supporters, leaving fans to scramble and pay over the odds for tickets, with some likely to even consider resorting to using unofficial routes.
On Monday (19 May), UEFA issued a warning regarding illegal purchases of tickets, stating, “In view of the upcoming UEFA club competition finals, UEFA warns fans not to purchase tickets on the secondary market, from unauthorised third parties, websites, agencies or from touts.
“Such tickets may be cancelled by UEFA at any time, and fans are likely to be refused entry or be ejected from the stadium. In addition, fans may not receive the tickets which they have purchased from these unauthorised third parties.”
Tottenham must finally reward fans
Tottenham compete in the Premier League, are in a good financial position, and have a stunning stadium. However, these accolades have never satisfied the fans, as the Lilywhites often flatter to deceive when it comes to footballing achievements.
A dismal domestic season, some taunting from Mikel Arteta, and another summer of uncertainty surrounding their manager have left the Lilywhites desperate for something to celebrate.
They will be hoping that Ange Postecoglou can deliver on his promise and win silverware in his second season in North London to give the Spurs faithful in Bilbao and beyond some joy.