Tottenham Hotspur ended a 17-year trophy drought on Wednesday night with a gritty 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final, held at the iconic San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain.

The win marks not just the club’s first major silverware since their League Cup triumph in 2008, but also their first continental title since the 1984 UEFA Cup — and it came at the hands of a manager who insisted from day one that he came to win.

The stadium was drenched in emotion at full-time. Thousands of Spurs supporters, many of whom had made the journey across Europe wearing their white and navy with hope and trepidation, were in tears as the whistle confirmed a long-awaited triumph. Tottenham, long derided for faltering in decisive moments, finally buried the “nearly men” tag that has followed them for over a decade.

It was not a classic, but few finals are. The first half saw both teams struggle to find rhythm. Sloppy passes and a lack of urgency meant chances were few. But in the 42nd minute, Tottenham found the moment that would decide the match. A right-footed cross from Pape Sarr into United’s box deflected off Luke Shaw before brushing off Spurs’ top scorer and falling kindly for Brennan Johnson. The Welshman, alert to the opportunity, stabbed the ball past André Onana to give his side the lead, prompting wild celebrations from the Tottenham end.

The goal, Johnson’s most important yet in a Spurs shirt, came just in time to lift a flat half — and it proved decisive.

While the first half belonged to Johnson, the second belonged to Micky van de Ven. The Dutch defender’s scissor-kick goal-line clearance in the 62nd minute was as spectacular as it was vital. With goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario caught out from a failed attempt to claim a free-kick, United’s Rasmus Højlund looked certain to equalize with a free header into an empty net. But van de Ven, reading the moment to perfection, launched his body into the air to hook the ball off the line and preserve Spurs’ slender lead.

Vicario, shaky earlier, redeemed himself with key saves from Alejandro Garnacho and Luke Shaw late on to ensure a clean sheet and, with it, the trophy.

A Reward Beyond the Trophy

The Europa League win does more than end a trophy drought, it opens the door to the UEFA Champions League next season. Despite enduring a dismal domestic campaign that saw Spurs languishing in 17th place with 21 league defeats, European success means they return to Europe’s elite competition, complete with the prestige and financial windfall it brings.

Ironically, Manchester United, also in the midst of a torrid season that has seen them win just four Premier League matches since January, came into the final with similar hopes of salvaging a campaign gone wrong. Instead, they leave empty-handed, mired in crisis.

“This season hasn’t been good at all, but I swear, not one of us players right now care about that,” said match-winner Brennan Johnson, draped in the Welsh flag during his post-match interview. “The club hasn’t won a trophy for 17 years. Honestly, this is what it means. All the fans get battered, we get battered about not winning a trophy… I’m so happy.”

Postecoglou’s Prophecy

The win was especially vindicating for manager Ange Postecoglou, whose belief in the project, even during Spurs’ worst league form in years, never wavered. The Australian, appointed in June 2023, had boldly predicted success in his second season, a pattern that has followed him throughout his career in Australia, Japan, and Scotland.

“I don’t usually win things… I always win things in my second year. Nothing has changed,” Postecoglou said confidently back in September, even after a loss to Arsenal.

Speaking after the final, Postecoglou explained his mindset: “I think people misinterpreted it. It wasn’t really boasting, it was me making a declaration. And I believed it.”

“At the time I said it, I was still in the Carabao Cup. I just had this thing inside me. More than anything else, I know our league form has been terrible – nowhere near good enough and unacceptable – but us finishing third wasn’t going to change this football club. The only thing that would change this football club is us winning something. And when I said that, that was my intent.”

“I was prepared to wear it if it didn’t happen. The beauty of it is that people kept reminding me of it… There was still a chance to do it. I was comfortable with it.”

Postecoglou has now turned Tottenham from perennial underachievers into continental champions — all within two seasons.

Son Makes History

The triumph was historic not only for the club but also for its captain. Son Heung-min, who took over the armband this season following Harry Kane’s departure, became the first South Korean captain to lead a European club to a major continental title.

Already a national icon in his homeland, Son’s achievement further cements his place in football history and is expected to inspire a new generation of Asian players dreaming of top-level success in Europe.

In many ways, the moment is a fitting reward for Son, who has remained loyal to Spurs through years of near-misses and painful defeats. On Wednesday night, he lifted the trophy that had long eluded the club — and did so as captain.

A New Chapter Begins?

Spurs fans won’t want to get carried away just yet, especially with Premier League survival still technically undecided. But Wednesday night felt like more than just a trophy win. It felt like the start of a new chapter — one where Tottenham are no longer haunted by past failures, but instead led by a manager who dares to believe, and a captain who dared to deliver.

For now, though, the white half of north London has earned the right to celebrate. It’s been 17 years in the making.