The Wiser Fool Won the Europa League

 

As the dust settles on another underwhelming Premier League campaign, two of England’s so-called footballing powerhouses, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, find themselves flirting with disaster at the foot of the table. Sitting in 17th and 16th place respectively, their seasons have been nothing short of embarrassing. While others were lifting silverware or at least fighting for relevance, United and Spurs have been busy proving just how far a club can fall when vision and competence are thrown out the window.

Yet, in a twist that could only be described as tragicomic, Tottenham Hotspur managed to win the UEFA Europa League and they did it by beating none other than Manchester United in the final. Yes, the same two clubs that have been staggering through the Premier League like relegation candidates somehow found themselves contesting Europe's most forgettable major final.

Let us be clear. The Europa League, for all its glitz and UEFA branding, is the competition for the nearly men. It is a trophy won by those who could not crack the top four in their domestic leagues, and in some cases, by teams that were so poor in the Champions League they were booted out and given a second chance against equally average opposition.

The notion that lifting the Europa League is on par with Champions League glory is delusional at best. It is a competition riddled with inconsistencies, played midweek in front of half-filled stadiums against clubs that would struggle to make the top half of any of Europe’s top five leagues. It is, in every sense, the secondhand silverware of European football.

Yes, winning it grants you passage to the Champions League, the promised land of European competition, and offers a chance at the UEFA Super Cup, which, for once, pits you against a team that actually won a major trophy. But let us not get it twisted. The Europa League is only useful for what it leads to, not what it represents.

So, while Tottenham may be dancing around with their long-awaited trophy triumph and Manchester United are
licking their wounds from yet another failed season, the rest of us can see the truth. The real embarrassment is not just their league positions. It is pretending that scraping a Europa League win somehow redeems a disastrous campaign.

In the end, the wiser fool may have taken the trophy, but he is still a fool and Europe is still watching.