Tottenham Hotspur has finally broken its long European trophy drought, securing the Europa League title after a wait of over four decades. The final against Manchester United was not a classic, marked by errors and uninspired play. However, Ange Postecoglou`s side prevailed, fulfilling his pledge to win silverware in his second year.
This triumph helps to overshadow a disappointing Premier League campaign where they finished 17th, a position that makes them the lowest-ranked league-finishing side ever to win a major European competition.
Ending a 41-Year European Title Drought
Brennan Johnson`s 42nd-minute strike secured his place in Spurs history, netting the decisive goal in the final. The goal itself wasn`t a showstopper, but it found the back of the net. Pape Sarr delivered a dangerous cross, Johnson got ahead of Luke Shaw, and after a couple of deflections, the ball ended up in the United goal.
The score remained 1-0, sealing a hard-fought victory by the narrowest of margins for Tottenham against Manchester United. This win finally ended their 41-year wait for a continental trophy.
Tottenham`s last European success came in 1984, also the UEFA Cup (now Europa League), where they beat Anderlecht on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw over two legs. This was their second UEFA Cup triumph; the first was in 1972 when they overcame Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 on aggregate.
Their first European title dates back even further to 1963, when they won the Cup Winners` Cup, defeating Atlético Madrid 5-1 in the final.
Their European trophy cabinet now holds four titles: one Cup Winners` Cup (1963) and three Europa Leagues (1972, 1984, and 2025).
No Silverware Since 2008
The European drought wasn`t the only one Tottenham ended. Until last night`s Europa League win, Spurs hadn`t lifted any trophy, domestic or European, for 17 years.
Not since the 2007/2008 season had the North London club added any silverware to its collection. The intervening years were marked by failures and disappointments, including several lost finals and a couple of Premier League runner-up finishes. It was far too long without a trophy for one of England`s major clubs.
That victory felt a long time ago – the 2008 League Cup (now Carabao Cup) triumph under Juande Ramos, where Spurs beat Chelsea 2-1. 6296 days later, Tottenham finally claimed the prize they had chased for so long, increasing their total official trophy count to 26.
