Manchester United and Tottenham will meet in the biggest football ever feet in prison -free commitment in Bilbao – but could winning the trophy actually be a curse?
Quickly the balloon popping up.
Turn off the music.
Stop singing about Eric Cantona and Ledley King.
Nobody likes a party poop, but let's really get and pour some cold water at the Bilbao party. This 'Get Out Jail Free' card from UEFA in the form of Champions League qualification by winning the Europa League may not be in the best long-term interests of these two underperforming football clubs.
Think about it. Are Spurs and Manchester United really able to manage a Premier League campaign next season, in addition to playing in the Champions League?
Even Man Utd -boss Ruben Amorim has issued such a warning and says: “We are not ready to play Premier League competitive and to be in the Champions League.”
England will indeed have six places in the Champions League next year, with one of United and Spurs that is guaranteed to qualify by winning the Europa League.
It is good news for clubs that receive the total prize pool for the Champions League – which has expanded this season from 32 to 36 teams – is up to £ 2.06 billion, compared to £ 1.74 billion in the previous size last season.
A run to the semi -final earned Arsenal about £ 70 million in prize money. For comparison, Manchester United received only £ 3.9 million in prize money for winning the FA Cup last summer.
Outside the field, winning in Bilbao would be met by enormous sighs of exemption in both boardrooms, but try to negotiate a Premier League season with the extra load of Champions League football will make life very difficult for both clubs.
Under the allure and excitement of Bilbao and what could happen in the final, it is easy to forget Spurs' at home against Ipswich and Leicester, the misery of watching this man Utd -Team football in Old Trafford, The Bashing from Pundits, The Social Media Meltdowns have produced both Clubs this season.
United has set a record low points for a Premier League season to reach a maximum of 48 points – their previous lowest was 58. Spurs have lost 19 Premier League matches – the most after 34 league matches in the history of the club.
Between these two they have lost 35 Premier League matches.
Both clubs need a reset. Another rebuilding. A season of consolidation.
It is not a bad thing not to have a Champions League campaign -and at least eight competitions -phase matches to negotiate.
If Amorim and the person who supervises Spurs, want to keep his job next season, the bread and butter of the Premier League will dictate things in that respect.
In an ideal world, without PSR restrictions and the temptation to play European football as a necessity for most players, both clubs could simply do with a Premier League Focus season.
Look what it did for Chelsea in 2016/17.
After a season in the Goldrums, 10th ending in the Premier League, Antonio Conte revitalized the club and roared without the extra stress of European football to a Premier League title.
He is about to repeat the trick with Napoli this season, and takes a team that ended 10th and therefore without European football to a Serie A-title with a disastrous end-season break, while Chief Rivals Inter Milan was eventually distracted by their way to the Champions League final.
Inter has shown how deep in a European campaign the domestic form can harm and it also happens regularly on these coasts.
West Ham finished seventh in 2021/22 and won the Conference League. The next season they ended 14th.
Newcastle finished fourth in 2022/23 and enjoyed a Champions League campaign but then dropped to seventh.
Brighton finished sixth, went on a Europa League adventure and then dropped to the 11th because it all unraveled for Roberto de Zerbi.
Since 2004, 25 of the 35 teams that were eligible for Europe that did not have the season before they gained fewer points in the following season, because the fierce lights of those exciting mid -week made it difficult to concentrate on the Interior.
Although Spurs and Manchester United does not officially fall into that category, it gives a relevant overview of how a European campaign can make it very difficult to stay consistent in the Premier League.
Look at Aston Villa.
They fully embraced the Champions League challenge and produced a number of memorable nights bayern Munich beating in Villa Park-Die eventually led to a quarter-final place, before Paris Saint-Germain gave a serious fear in the latter-like band, where they were only eliminated by one goal.
But this cost their form of competition, where their results after a Champions League evening was hit.
In 11 games after a European night, Villa won only four of their 11 Premier League matches. That is in stark contrast to their form of recent times, where the rest between games has increased. Since the completion of the competition phase of the Champions League, Villa has only lost once in the Premier League of 12 games.
Losing in Bilbao will hurt both teams, but perhaps in the short term pain is in the best interest of the club for some long-term win.
Can those losers actually be the real winners?
Check out the Top-Vijf Race on Sky Sports this weekend
It is again a huge weekend at Sky Sports for the clubs that compete for top-five finishes.
On Saturday evening football, Aston Villa goes to Bournemouth and needs a victory to keep their challenge alive, with coverage from 5 pm on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event and kick -off at 5.30 pm.
On Super Sunday you can look at Nottingham Forest to increase their hope by beating Leicester in the earlier kick -off on Sky Sports Premier League and the main event at 2.15 p.m.
Then it's Arsenal's turn. The Gunners still have work to do their Champions League spot, starting against Liverpool in Anfield, live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event and start at 4.30 pm.
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