Tottenham manager Ainge Postecoglou said today that winning the Europa League this season could be a turning point for the football club, which has not won a trophy for 17 years.
Tottenham will play Manchester United in the Europa League final on May 21st in Bilbao and will try to win their first trophy in 17 years and win the League Cup, or their first European trophy since 1984 and winning the UEFA Cup.
When asked by reporters about the significance of winning the trophy, Postecoglou said that for him it would be great and "another trophy to remember in his old age", but that what was much more important was what it would mean for the club.
"When you look at the historical background of this club over the past 20 years or so, it seems like a turning point in the way people perceive this club and how the club perceives itself, which I think is the most important thing. Until you do that, no matter what else you achieve, people will say you haven't won anything. In our game and in life in general, that's what people value the most," Postecoglou said, as reported by Sky.
He was also asked about a possible narrative ahead of the final, that Manchester United usually have success in finals, and that Tottenham have lost in recent finals.
Tottenham lost the Champions League final to Liverpool in 2019 and the League Cup final to Manchester City two years later. United won the League Cup in 2023 and won the FA Cup last season.
"That's an obstacle that this club has to overcome, because it's always going to be there. Until you actually do that, people will be able to say that you always fail on the big stage. No matter what the opponent says or what anyone says, you have to try to break that cycle and whatever motivation you need, use it," the coach said.
"There may be things we use, but to really do something that big, there has to be a higher purpose than just shutting people's mouths. The photos I see on the walls of this stadium are of Billy Nicholson, the winning team from 1984. Many of them are in black and white. Can we hang this group on that wall," Postecoglou asked.
He also talked about how many of Tottenham's top players did not win trophies with the club.
"We've had world-class players play here for world-class coaches and you have to understand the history and the scale of the task ahead of us to understand how difficult it will be and how significant it can be. Since I arrived, one of the constants has been how we can achieve what others haven't. It's not just about ability, sometimes you need luck, but to have it, you have to put yourself in a position to achieve that success," he said.
"I made sure the players were aware of the importance of what they were trying to achieve. The challenges this year have made everything harder. Things have happened to me this year that have never happened to me in my career and events that are beyond your control have made it more difficult. Some other clubs have fewer obstacles, here it seems like there are a lot of them. We have given ourselves an opportunity, and now we need to take it," added Postecoglou.
The match will be refereed by German Felix Zweier.
It will be his second European final, after refereeing the Nations League final in 2023.
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