ALL OR NOTHING

EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL: MANCHESTER UNITED VS TOTTENHAM

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

It’s all or nothing when Manchester United and Tottenham meet in the Europa League final Wednesday.

For the winner of the all-English showdown in Bilbao there is the mother of all get-out-of-jail-free cards with entry to the Champions League.

For the loser, the abyss of no European soccer next year, the indignity of so many unwanted records broken, and uncertainty hanging over the futures of those who have presided over such a spectacular fall.

That’s what’s on the line at Estadio de San Mamés when two English soccer giants get one last shot at salvaging the season.

Seasons of woe

Long gone are the days when United dominated the Premier League and challenged the summit of European soccer on a regular basis. But even after 12 years without winning the English title, this season has represented a new low.

United is 16th out of 20 in the standings after a club-record 18 defeats in a single campaign since the Premier League began in 1992. It is also certain to register its worst-ever points total in the era, as well as its lowest finish. “We know this season has been nowhere near good enough for this club and for our standards,” United defender Harry Maguire says.

Tottenham is one place below United having lost 21 times in the league —also a club record in the modern era.