Spurs skipper Son gets what was missing as Tottenham see final error put right
Around 80,000 Manchester United and Spurs fans headed to Bilbao and police say there were just seven arrests as Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham won the Europa League and booked their place in next season's Champions League
Tottenham's ecstatic players were spotted leaving their hotel on Thursday morning - their delight clear for all to see after securing Europa League glory in Bilbao.
Captain Son Heung-min was smiling from ear to ear as he hopped onto the team coach before being whisked to the airport. And the Spurs skipper, who hoped finally bringing silverware to North London would make him a "legend" in the eyes of fans, finally had a medal around his neck after UEFA's final faux pas.
Manager Ange Postecoglou was cheered by fans singing 'we're not Spursy anymore' as he left the hotel, with his long-term future at the club still in question.
The team ended a 17-year trophy drought after beating Manchester United 1-0 in a scrappy game on Wednesday night. Winger Brennan Johnson scored the only goal of the game scrambled the ball home in the 42nd minute for the North London club.
The win also secured Spurs a place in the Champions League next season - despite their dismal Premier League campaign which currently sees them sitting 17th in the table with just one game to go. A seat back at Europe's top table could be worth up to £100million in extra revenue.
An estimated 80,000 supporters from both clubs had travelled to northern Spain, where the country's biggest match is Real Madrid v Barcelona, known worldwide as "El Clasico".
But with United sitting 16th in the Premier League and Spurs one place below, cruel critics had dubbed this match "El-Crapico" due to both team's dire form. A final that was largely devoid of quality did little to make light of that narrative.
Not that it mattered to Postecoglou, who kept up his record of winning a trophy in his second season. Postecoglou made headlines at the start of the season when he declared that he 'always wins things' in year two of a job – a feat achieved at South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Yokohama, Celtic and Australia 's under-17, under-20 and senior sides. The bold remark came after a slow start to the Premier League campaign and has been regularly referenced since.
Despite the huge numbers of English fans, police said they were mostly well behaved as just seven arrests were made.
A spokesman for the Basque regional force, the Ertzaintza, said five of the detainees had already been released - but would be summoned to appear before a judge at a later date - and two remained in custody. They are expected to be allowed to leave later today.
Just a handful of incidents marred what was otherwise a good-natured, but very boozy celebration, in Bilbao. Small kirmishes broke between Tottenham and United fans with one Brit filmed being pinned to the ground by police with batons and guns before being marched away in handcuffs.
An Ertzaintza spokesman said they did not have to deal with any major incidents: 'We have made seven arrests linked to incidents arising from the Europa League final. All are foreigners but I can't confirm if they are all British.
'The arrests were for fighting, criminal damage, disobedience and assaulting a police officer.'
At least three British nationals who had travelled to Bilbao for the game are said to have had expensive designer watches stolen from them. One was worth £42,000, another £33,000 and the third £21,000 according to local reports. The crimes have been linked to the 'state of drunkenness' the Brits were in.
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