The Europa League isn’t the useless parody of the Champions League it once was. With Tottenham unlikely to replicate a similar near-title challenge as they did last season, the club may be well-suited to launch a genuine assault on this European trophy.
At the moment, there’s simply too much weighing against Tottenham and another pre-February run in the league like they had last season. Their form was facilitated by some very good football from their themselves, but also due to the horrendous and unpredictable form of their nearest rivals. Now, however, those clubs have strengthened significantly and Spurs could find themselves in another tough battle for a top-four finish.
It would be extremely disappointing if Tottenham dismissed the Europa League in favour of a good finish in the league; they have a very good opportunity to land a trophy whose reputation is growing, and really, does anyone expect them to challenge for the title this season?
The sacrifice may come in the league, where Tottenham would likely lose out on a top-four spot if they performed well in European competition. But despite the financial benefits Champions League football brings, is it worth it throw away the prospect of a very realistic trophy come May?
Without Champions League football going into next season, Spurs have done a good job of landing a young and ambitious manager, one who was once highly thought of in England. The club have bought in two very good players in Jan Vertonghen and Gylfi Sigurdsson, and any possible proceeds from a Luka Modric sale would surely be reinvested. The club now have a manager who has shown his worth in this competition with Porto, and the team are not far off from being a genuine threat to other major clubs in the tournament.
Tottenham are hardly a major contender in the Premier League, despite what Harry Redknapp says—their budget simply doesn’t allow them to be a consistent close rival to the Manchester clubs or Chelsea. Instead, Tottenham have done extremely well in cup competitions in recent years, reaching two Carling Cup finals and last year’s FA cup semifinal. What was most promising is that on the whole (and discounting Juande Ramos’ time at the club) Spurs have found a good balance between cup commitments and the necessity to finish as high as possible in the league.
The battle they had with Manchester City a few seasons ago for fourth place is unlikely to be repeated, as City are now firmly above fighting for just a top-four place. It was also hugely disappointing for the club last season to finish in a spot that didn’t guarantee Champions League football, but again, are we likely to see them as close to the genuine title contenders over the next season?
Instead, Spurs need to continue to increase their global brand beyond being just a good English side and Champions League hopefuls. By landing the Europa League this season the club can continue to make a name for themselves on the continent, helping to attract a wider market of players and sponsorships.
It can sometimes be infuriating that the current generation of football fans consider Champions League qualification to be the highest achievement if a league title is out of reach. Again, the income from Europe’s top competition makes it seem worthwhile, but a trophy is still a great marker for a club and an important stepping stone.
Harry Redknapp may not have seen much worth in the Europa League last season, and perhaps rightly so. But the competition drew a large audience due to it’s knockout round matches and Tottenham should look to take advantage.
The club’s budget for now will keep them firmly on the borders of Champions League and Europa League football. But Spurs are good enough to spread their ambition to more than just a good league finish. The club have the resources to win the Europa League, and it would be an excellent step forward for both the club and English football if they were to do so.
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