Manchester United and Tottenham are battling it out for a place in the Europa League final to be played in Bilbao on May 21st, with both teams holding the aggregate lead heading into the second leg of the semi-final.
United won the first leg away against Athletic Bilbao 3-0, Tottenham beat Norwegian side Bode-Glimt 3-1 at home - the big Premier League final of the Europa League is so close...
What makes the potential spectacle in the heart of the Basque Country particularly interesting is that United and Tottenham are struggling at the bottom of the Premier League - occupying 15th and 16th place, respectively.
And one of them, as things stand now, will play in the Champions League!
In 2014, UEFA introduced a rule that allowed the winner of the Europa League direct entry into the Champions League.
The man who disagrees with such a policy is a legend in the coaching business - Arsene Wenger, former Arsenal manager.
When asked if it was right for Europa League winners to gain the right to play in the Champions League, the Frenchman replied
"No, they should automatically qualify again for the Europa League, but not necessarily for the Champions League."
"Especially when you're in the Premier League, where five teams already qualify. I think it's something UEFA needs to think about and should be reconsidered," Wenger believes.
Atalanta won the Europa League last season, before that Sevilla, before that Eintracht, before that Villarreal...
They all had direct qualification to the Champions League.
"Most people will tell you that it's a rule to keep the Europa League focused, interesting and motivating, but I'm not a fan of it," added the French strategist, who won the Premier League title without defeat with Arsenal in the 2003/04 season.
Manchester United won the Europa League in 2018 under José Mourinho, earning a place in the Champions League next season, despite finishing sixth in the 2017/18 Premier League.
Since the Europa League was rebranded in the 2009/10 season, no team that finished lower than 12th place has played in the final or won the trophy.
Sevilla (12th place) won the competition in 2023, while Fulham (also 12th place) lost the final in 2010.
Wenger, who left Arsenal in 2018 and became FIFA's director of global football development a year later, has proposed a number of changes to football in recent years, including changes to the offside rule and holding the World Cup every two years.
None of those suggestions have worked for him so far, and this one probably won't either - the Europa League champion should have a guaranteed spot in the Champions League in the future.
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