Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are set to face off in Bilbao on Wednesday, with a Europa League final representing a pivotal moment for both clubs.
Despite challenging Premier League seasons, both struggling English sides have a significant chance to redeem their campaigns by winning the trophy in Spain.
Sitting 17th and 16th in the Premier League standings, respectively, both Spurs and United have had disappointing domestic league performances.
However, various historical signs and coincidences (“omens”) indicate that this challenging season could still conclude gloriously for either club.
TOTTENHAM
Tottenham`s widely known trophy drought dates back to their League Cup victory in 2008.
Manager Ange Postecoglou has faced criticism due to his team`s poor league form.
Yet, the fact that Juande Ramos and George Graham are Tottenham`s last managers to win silverware implies that success isn`t exclusive to the club`s most celebrated or highest-rated coaches.
Spurs can draw encouragement from other teams recently ending much longer waits for trophies.
For example, in March, Newcastle United surprisingly defeated Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup, securing their first trophy since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
Just last week, Bologna won the Coppa Italia by beating AC Milan 1-0 in Rome, ending a 51-year trophy drought.
Former Tottenham star Harry Kane recently secured the first trophy of his career, winning the Bundesliga title in his second attempt with Bayern Munich, scoring 26 goals.
Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash
MAN UTD
Manchester United`s decision to change manager mid-season has not yet yielded positive results.
Erik ten Hag`s tenure began poorly, leading to his sacking after a 2-1 loss to West Ham in October.
Ruben Amorim took over, but the 40-year-old has only achieved six wins in 26 Premier League games since his appointment.
However, ahead of Wednesday`s final, United supporters can find hope in the parallels with their last Europa League triumph.
Eight years ago, United defeated Ajax 2-0 in Stockholm to win the trophy, with goals scored by Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
For that victory, their manager was Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, who had replaced Louis van Gaal, a Dutch manager sacked after winning the FA Cup.
Notably, Amorim is also Portuguese, and he replaced the sacked Dutch manager Ten Hag, who won the FA Cup last season. This creates a striking parallel.
Furthermore, another potentially positive sign is that their rivals, Manchester City, last had a season without winning any trophies in 2017.
Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash
Manchester City`s defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday confirmed that the 2024-25 season is their first without silverware since the 2016-17 campaign.
United supporters will be hoping that these coincidences and signs (“omens”) will translate into a favorable outcome for them on Wednesday night.
