Seventeen silverware-less years could finally come to an end for Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, when Ange Postecoglou‘s men pit their wits against Manchester United in the 2024-25 Europa League final in Bilbao.
The less said about the Lilywhites domestically this season the better, but the man who famously said he always wins trophies in his second year in a job could still fulfil that promise, while also delivering Spurs’ first major honour since the 2007-08 EFL Cup.
While Tottenham may be starved of success in the 21st century, the North London giants are actually no strangers to conquering Europe’s second-tier tournament, reaching three showpiece matches in the previous millennium and coming up trumps in two of them.
Ahead of Wednesday’s blockbuster battle, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at Tottenham’s previous appearances in Europa League/UEFA Cup finals.
1. 1971-72 UEFA Cup final | Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur (on aggregate)
© Imago
A historically significant fixture in both English and European football, the 1972 UEFA Cup final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur marked the first ever UEFA club competition final to be fought by two teams of the same nation.
However, this was not just one final, but two; much like in today’s knockout ties, the showpiece match was a two-legged affair, the first of which took place at Wolves’ Molineux home on May 3.
Bill Nicholson‘s Tottenham spoiled the West Midlands party, though, as a brace from Martin Chivers rendered a Jim McCalliog effort largely inconsequential in a 2-1 triumph for the North London giants, who had to wait a fortnight to finish the job at home.
In front of a 54,000-strong crowd at White Hart Lane, Tottenham simply needed to avoid defeat to hoist the trophy aloft, and avoid defeat they did, as Alan Mullery put Spurs 3-1 to the good on aggregate before David Wagstaffe‘s ultimately inconsequential equaliser for the Old Gold.
2. 1973-74 UEFA Cup final | Tottenham 2-4 Feyenoord (on aggregate)
© Imago
After having their title defence ended by Liverpool in the 1972-73 edition, Tottenham were back in the championship battle just one year later, where Feyenoord sought to deny them a second European honour in the space of three years.
Still contested over two matches, White Hart Lane hosted the first leg on May 21, 1974, where Tottenham took the lead twice only to be pegged back by their Dutch counterparts on both occasions.
Mike England‘s opener preceded a quickfire Willem van Hamegan leveller, before Theo de Jong bailed out teammate Joop van Daele after his own goal gave Tottenham a 2-1 lead, leaving Feyenoord in control before the return fixture in Rotterdam.
A clash that was partially overshadowed by riots from Tottenham supporters, Feyenoord did the business with a 2-0 win to secure a 4-2 aggregate success over Nicholson’s team, as goals in either half from Wim Rijsbergen and Peter Ressel subjected Spurs to their first-ever heartbreak in a European final.
3. 1983-84 UEFA Cup final | Anderlecht 2-2 Tottenham (on aggregate, Tottenham win 4-3 on penalties)
© Imago
From English to Dutch and finally Belgian, Tottenham’s third UEFA Cup final in the 1983-84 season threw up another new opponent, as the Lilywhites crossed paths with Belgian behemoths Anderlecht in another two-legged showpiece event.
Now under the wing of Keith Burkinshaw, Tottenham travelled to Brussels for the opening encounter and left the happier of the two sides following a 1-1 draw, even if Paul Miller‘s strike did not hold up as the winner due to an 85th minute Morten Olsen equaliser.
However, it was the London giants who had to find some late inspiration at White Hart Lane, as Anderlecht took the lead through Alexandre Czerniatynski before Graham Roberts saved Spurs’ bacon six minutes from the end of normal time.
Thirty additional goalless minutes followed, but first-leg hero Olsen went from hero to zero, missing his opening penalty in the shootout as Tottenham scored each of their first four.
Danny Thomas fluffing his lines gave Anderlecht a glimmer of hope, but Arnor Gudjohnsen – the father of ex-Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen – saw his effort saved by Tony Parks as Tottenham clinched their third and most recent European honour to date.
Tottenham’s triumph was also a triumph for football, as over a decade later, Anderlecht’s former chairman admitted to paying a referee a £27,000 “loan” before their semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest, still one of the most notable corruption scandals in European football history.
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