IF I was asked for my favourite moment in over 30 years in football, I wouldn’t need to phone a friend, ask the audience, go 50-50 or even ask Jeremy Clarkson.
The day West Ham lifted a European trophy will always be a treasured pinnacle.
GettyFormer Arsenal boss Wenger has said neither Man Utd or Spurs deserve Champions League football next season[/caption]
ReutersMan Utd will face Spurs in Bilbao to contest the Europa League final after a league season to forget[/caption]
ReutersSpurs are also desperate to qualify for the Champions League by winning in Bilbao[/caption]
That win over Fiorentina in Prague in the Europa Conference League final ended 43 years of hurt at West Ham.
For me and all our supporters it was something very special — a day to tell the grandchildren.
You just cannot beat the feeling of winning silverware.
So Wednesday’s Europa League final — the ‘British battle of Bilbao’ — is a clash which means the world to fans of Spurs and Manchester United.
Only this one comes with a big, fat, juicy cherry on top of the cake.
Victory means Champions League qualification next season and that comes with a cheque for £100million, and possibly a lot more.
In a way, this is a final bigger than a trophy.
But now the argument begins.
Look at the Premier League table and you can’t fail to notice that both clubs are nearer the floor than the ceiling.
For both Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim this is a chance to get their hands on silverware and to show that they can be genuine winners.
Forget their stumbling league form as this showdown is a gateway to the elite level of European football.
Here is the question — and it’s worth a lot more than the £1m on offer to contestants in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Is this a case of Champions League via a sneaky short cut? Or has it been truly earned?
Fifa’s chief of global football development, Arsene Wenger, revealed his distaste for this back-door route into the Champions League.
When asked if it was ‘right,’ Wenger said: “No. They should qualify automatically for the Europa League again but not necessarily for the Champions League.
“Especially when you are in the Premier League where already five teams qualify. It is something to think about and to review.”
GettyWest Ham won the Europa Conference League in 2023[/caption]
Critics say the winners in Bilbao will benefit, while clubs who perform week-in, week-out in their domestic leagues are unfairly treated.
They would argue that league tables should be key to unlocking European qualification, not one-off games.
I’m fairly certain Manchester United and Spurs fans would disagree with that and may point to a long and gruelling midweek European campaign, which should be rewarded accordingly.
Also, as any manager will tell you, performances often dip when you are playing three games a week and travelling to far-flung corners of the continent.
A wet Wednesday in Bremen is knackering!
Those same supporters say that a winner-takes-all-final creates true jeopardy and excitement.
And I can see that as West Ham’s showdown two years ago triggered an astonishing reaction with over 20,000 fans travelling to Prague.
If supporters love it, who are we to criticise?
While the Hammers qualified for the Europa League following that victory, the winners in Bilbao will take a seat at the very top table.
Champions League brings huge income — prize money, broadcast rights, sponsorship deals — as well as enhanced transfer appeal.
For Spurs and Manchester United this game effectively decides their summer spending budget.
Will it be Harrods or Peckham market?
So are league positions no longer the true barometer of a team’s season?
Wenger wants it to change so we shall see.
Whether the prize of Champions League qualification to the winners is right or wrong, this final will define more than just one season.
It could define the future of European football.
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