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With more than 80,000 English football fans expected to descend on Bilbao for the Bigger Vase final, it’s safe to assume that approximately half of them will return home in despair, while almost all of them will be seriously out of pocket. But despite its status as a fine location with a proud football heritage, Bilbao doesn’t have the infrastructure to cope with the myriad demands that come with hosting a game between the 16th and 17th best teams in England. With “budget” flights costing well north of a grand and even the most low-rent accommodation priced up at £500-plus a night, one can but hope for the sake of those Spurs and Manchester United fans who use plane, train, automobile or boat to arrive in northern Spain for this season-defining match that Bilbao has no shortage of doorways and park benches. Expect plenty to be occupied on Tuesday evening by green-around-the-gills landlubbers who set off on Sunday evening’s Portsmouth ferry, a vessel which docked in Bilbao earlier.

A very beautiful career is coming to an end, a very full life. I feel very fortunate for what I’ve experienced. I didn’t expect it, but I think the time has come and I feel like bringing it to a close here” – former Barcelona, Liverpool and Spain vibes-man, Pepe Reina, is hanging up his gloves aged 7842 after Como’s final game of the season on Friday. He might have a busy last day at the office given Inter will be desperately fighting for the title. Look out for any loose beachballs, Pepe!

Trust the Germans to have a word to describe every situation or feeling. Liverpool’s current performance (or lack of) can be defined as Erfüllungsleere” – Krishna Moorthy.

Given this appears to be the year of the underdog in cup finals, Tottenham and Manchester United must be really optimistic” – Martyn Shapter.

Re: Memory Lane (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition) – that mascot got a bit more than they bargained for” – Jim Hearson.

I’d question the wisdom of publishing both of Michael Glogower’s pun-laden Eredivisie missives in recent letters sections. Remember, two De Jongs don’t make a right …” – Derek McGee.

• Predictions of 80,000 fans in city ‘not unreasonable’
• Uefa warns fans second-hand tickets will not be accepted

The head of English football policing, chief constable Mark Roberts, has urged Tottenham and Manchester United fans not to travel to Bilbao if they do not have a ticket for the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of ticketless fans are expected in the city and Roberts says Uefa, local organisers and police share a “real desire” to make the event work for supporters after the chaos of recent Champions League finals in Paris and Istanbul.

• Ivorian expected to start in Europa League final
• ‘I need the game time to show I can play for this club’

Amad Diallo has revealed how his frustration under Erik ten Hag as he fought to become established at Manchester United spilled over in October’s Europa League draw at Fenerbahce.

Diallo was signed from Atalanta in January 2021 by Ole Gunnar Solskjær. He made eight appearances that season then was loaned to Rangers in January 2022 for the rest of the term and Sunderland for all of the 2022-23 campaign, being voted the PFA Championship fans’ player of the year.

With Ineos busy at Manchester United, Nice finished fourth in Ligue 1 and set up their first European Cup run in 65 years

By Get French Football News

“He hasn’t seen a Nice match this season,” retorted Nice manager Franck Haise to denigrating comments from the club’s own owner Jim Ratcliffe. Had the Manchester United shareholder watched Nice this season, he would have seen a team that has instilled principles and structures that have thus far failed to take hold at Old Trafford – and a side not reliant on a one-game shootout to secure their place in next season’s Champions League.

When Manchester United and Nice both qualified for the Europa League this season, Uefa stipulated that no one involved in one club’s management, administration or sporting performance could have a decisive influence in the other club. Ineos concentrated on Manchester United and left Nice to their own devices. It has worked out well for the French club.

Eberechi Eze is too good for Palace, Morgan Gibbs-White is pushing for a call-up and is 2025 the year of the underdog?

Why would your fan-favourite player, scorer of That Historic Wembley Goal, in peak form under an excellent manager want to leave? Why would anyone be OK with it? How is this logical? Crystal Palace are now good enough to have Eberechi Eze in the team. Eberechi Eze is also too good to stay at Crystal Palace. Both of these things seem to be true. Oliver Glasner-era Palace are a seriously potent, organised and attractive team. But Eze’s progress is something else. At times during his early Palace career there was a sense of a slightly loose late-developer. His skill level was always exceptional. His use of it now is next-level, his finishing cold and his physique buffed up. Eze does not really have a ceiling. He could play for any team in Europe. But he is also 26 years old with two years left on his contract, and Palace have a model based on development with the likes of Romain Esse ready for a shot. There does not always have to be downside. Selling the man who made the thing happen can still be best for everyone. Barney Ronay

• Moroccan has career-best 55 appearances this season
• Believes Europa League ‘fighting spirit’ absent in league

Noussair Mazraoui has revealed that cutting out fizzy drinks has helped him to make 55 Manchester United appearances this season, the most of the defender’s eight-year career. Mazraoui’s 48 games for Ajax in 2018-19 constituted his previous highest number. With two matches left he could end on 57 and the 27-year-old explained why.

“I’m not drinking any sodas any more – fizzy drinks,” he said. “It changes a lot because of the sugar; you don’t get it in your body any more. So just water makes a huge difference eventually. It was just to try to see if there’s any difference. I know sugar is really bad for your body but it’s really nice to have a little drink of it with dinner.”

Wednesday’s all-English Europa League final in Bilbao is a huge game that shows football still has a sense of humour

The best thing about football is what a silly, mercurial game it is. You can have all the money or political clout in the world. You can put in place meticulously thought-out projects. You can think and prepare and invest and plan, and football will still spit out a Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United. Strategise that.

Thousands will travel to Bilbao without tickets, many will end up sleeping rough, the phone network may collapse. It will be chaotic and anarchic and at its heart will be a game between two teams desperate for victory, whose presence in the final is utterly bewildering. And in that bonkersness may lie brilliance.

Chelsea’s head coach admits first season ‘not perfect’ while Manchester United’s Marc Skinner wants ‘something special’ from defending champions

After 465 matches and 2,445 goals, a record 514 clubs have been whittled down to two. On Sunday Manchester United and Chelsea will face each other in the Women’s FA Cup final for a second time.

Chelsea won 1-0 in 2023 to deny United in what was their maiden FA Cup final appearance, something Marc Skinner’s side avenged last season by beating the Blues in the semi-finals to limit Emma Hayes’ final season trophy haul to one. United went on to beat Tottenham 4-0 in the final to secure their first major trophy following promotion from the Championship. Now they have a chance to demonstrate exactly how far they have come, as they bid to retain their crown against a domestically unbeaten Chelsea looking to land a treble.

In a cacophony of jubilant celebration, the sense of relief inside Stamford Bridge was overwhelming.

Just as Chelsea feared their Champions League dreams fading away, Marc Cucurella nodded the biggest goal of their season and a firecracker in west London ignited. So infectious was the joy that one home supporter even charged on to the pitch before the match was done. Call his solo pitch invasion passion or stupidity; it was just that kind of feeling.

• Updates from Stamford Bridge; kick-off 8.15pm BST
• Aston Villa v Tottenham – live with Yara El-Shaboury
• Live scores | Table | And read today’s Football Daily

“‘We will retain Amorim even if we do not win the Big Vase’ (more alarming when they play Spurs) is not a statement that boosts someone’s confidence, does it?” says Krishnamoorthy V. “What must one old Scot be thinking these days? Should he come back for an encore?”

He’s probably thinking: ‘You think this lot are bad, you should have seen my team in 1989-90.’ I can’t get away from the fact that, had modern values prevailed in the late 1980s, Alex Ferguson would have won precisely no trophies at Manchester United, and he’d probably still be plain old Alex Ferguson. We’ve all gone mad. I went mad in 2006 so I can’t really criticise anyone.

Goodbyes to Goodison and Vardy, Palace and City brace for Wembley and the return of Kai Havertz

Aston Villa could not conceal their anger after their game at home to Tottenham was brought forward 48 hours. Villa’s director of football operations, Damian Vidagany, said shifting the game from Sunday to Friday was “clear prejudice” against the club and Villa objected to Spurs’s request for it to be moved to aid their preparations for Wednesday’s Europa League final. Villa were also privately perplexed at Bournemouth’s game with Manchester City being rearranged for Tuesday, after Saturday’s FA Cup final, which is guaranteed to have implications on whether eighth place qualifies for the Europa Conference League. The flipside to all of this is Villa can get on the front foot, kicking off 45 minutes before Chelsea entertain Manchester United and two days before Nottingham Forest head to West Ham and Arsenal host Newcastle. Victory for Villa could hoist them as high as fourth before a final-day trip to Old Trafford and, psychologically, that could prove a knockout blow. Ben Fisher

Aston Villa v Tottenham, Premier League, Friday 7.30pm (all times BST)

Chelsea v Manchester United, Premier League, Friday 8.15pm

Crystal Palace v Manchester City, FA Cup final, Saturday 4.30pm

• No clause in loan deal that stops other clubs buying him
• Striker eager to join Champions League side

Marcus Rashford could move for £40m to a team other than Aston Villa should Manchester United receive a bid of this value despite the Midlands club having an option to buy him for that sum.

Rashford signed for Villa on loan in January and it is understood there is no clause in their agreement with United that prevents other clubs from buying him for the same price if the parent club and forward agree to the move.

• Coach clarified claim he could quit after West Ham loss
• ‘What I am saying is we must perform or they will change’

Ruben Amorim has insisted he is “very far from quitting” Manchester United, the head coach moving to clarify his suggestion after Sunday’s loss to West Ham that he could walk away.

After the 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford that left his team in 16th Amorim stated that if next season started with the same dismal form it may be time for “new persons to occupy this space”.

• Portuguese coach to be given chance to rebuild squad
• Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap top summer targets

Manchester United intend to retain Ruben Amorim as head coach next season even if they lose the Europa League final to Tottenham. The club have endured a horrible league campaign but the hierarchy feels the Portuguese deserves this summer transfer window to improve the squad and sign players better suited to his tactics.

United are 16th in the Premier League, having lost 17 games, their worst performance since 1973-74. Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November but has failed to oversee an upturn in fortunes domestically, also being eliminated by Fulham in the FA Cup and Tottenham in the League Cup.

Born in a curry house amid fury with the Glazer regime at Old Trafford, FC United’s own story is not without turmoil

On the Saturday in late March this year that FC United of Manchester and The 1958, a Manchester United supporters group, held a joint-action against 20 years of Glazer ownership of United, Tom Kerse displayed his own protest at Broadhurst Park, FC United’s home, which read: “The Glazers? FCUM Hall.” The 69-year-old, like many FC United fans, followed Manchester United before the American family’s leveraged purchase of the club in May 2005. “‘FCUM Hall’, as in ‘fuck all the Glazers’,” Kerse says, just in case anyone missed his point.

FC United were born 20 years ago on Tuesday, on 13 May 2005 in a Rusholme curry house named Dilda. Paul Hurst, a founder, is the board lead for communication and co-ownership, the latter a core value of the club, with all members having a vote on each key decision. “What we’ve seen [happen] at Manchester United is what we said [would happen] 20 years ago,” Hurst says. “It’s maybe taken a bit longer, that’s all.”

Twenty years after the club’s takeover a look at some of the most striking evaluations during their tenure at Old Trafford

Initial percentage of Manchester United bought by Malcolm Glazer in May 2003 – by the end of the year it stood at 15%.

Bradley offers pointers to Liverpool’s future, Forest at risk of losing stars and Watkins epitomises Villa’s sunny outlook

• Golden Boot race: the latest top scorer standings

Late-season at Anfield, a welcome show of spirit in a comeback from Arsenal became the tale of three full-backs. Following an early booking, Myles Lewis-Skelly, who began sketchily, found the measure of Mohamed Salah. There may be no tougher discipline for a defender in 2025. Does “MLS” have a long-term future as a defender or is his broad skillset better suited to midfield? The same questions have long been asked of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose second-half arrival gave rise to a loud, vicious barracking, rancorous accusations of treachery that will grab headlines. If not unprecedented – Steve McManaman received similar treatment in 1999 – it was shocking to hear the Kop’s open contempt for one of their own, though one who has dared to flee the Merseyside nest. Before Alexander-Arnold’s arrival, Conor Bradley staked claims to be a first-teamer with typical ferocity in the tackle and speedy overlaps. He was also booked. As his replacement arrived to boos, the Kop pointedly sang the youngster’s name. John Brewin

Match report: Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal

Match report: Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea

Match report: Manchester United 0-2 West Ham

Match report: Nottingham Forest 2-2 Leicester

Match report: Tottenham 0-2 Crystal Palace

This was an exercise in how not to utilise the first of only two matches to tune up before a major European final from Manchester United that left Ruben Amorim so disenchanted he spoke of not being in charge if the start to next season is the same.

The head coach said: “I’m talking about myself, I’m talking about the culture in the club and the culture in the team. We need to be really strong in the summer and be brave. We will not have a next season like this if we start like this. If the feeling is still here we should give space [his position] to different persons.”

• Forward admits ‘hard times’ during difficult campaign
• ‘We are in a good position now to win a European trophy’

Rasmus Højlund is determined to prove himself “on the biggest stage” with Manchester United, although the centre-forward admits his 21-match scoring drought earlier in the season was a test of character.

Højlund’s goal in Thursday’s 4-1 defeat of Athletic Bilbao was only his 10th in 48 games, a return that has prompted some criticism. But the 22-year-old Dane is clear he can turn his form around. “I know what this football club is all about,” Højlund said. “It’s a lot of pressure, but that’s why I’m here. I want to show myself on the biggest stage.”

Fans protested against the leveraged takeover but were offered little support and the toxicity has had a lasting impact

The first time the Glazer family visited Old Trafford, in June 2005, they paid a visit to the megastore. Outside, hundreds of furious Manchester United fans turned up with banners and placards, shouted slogans such as “Die Glazer die”, and a few clashed with police. Inside, the Glazers were doing a spot of – and here we must stretch the word to its broadest possible definition – shopping.

For Joel, Avram and Bryan had no intention of doing anything quite as undignified as parting with their own cash. Instead they swarmed the aisles, scooped up armfuls of replica shirts and merchandise, which shop staff dutifully ran through the tills and bagged up. When the time came to leave, the Glazers simply took the bags and left. This was, after all, all their own property, theirs to take and use as they pleased. And as a metaphor for how they intended to run Manchester United over the next 20 years, it is about as good as any.