Manchester United’s players are preparing for a major European final—but their families may have a harder time getting there.
Ahead of next week’s Europa League showdown with Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao, players have been told they will receive just two complimentary tickets each. They can buy up to ten more, but travel and accommodation for guests will have to be arranged privately.
The decision, confirmed by the club, reflects a wider push to ensure the bulk of United’s 15,000-ticket allocation for the final at San Mames Stadium goes to paying supporters.
“We want as many real fans in the stands as possible,” a club official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal policies publicly.
But for the players, the policy adds pressure ahead of one of the biggest matches of their season.
Some staff, too, are feeling the pinch. Unlike in previous years, United employees will not be given free tickets for the final. Instead, the club is organizing a viewing event in central Manchester.
The changes come after a string of cost-cutting moves. Earlier this season, the club quietly ended free staff lunches and made several redundancies.
Inside the dressing room, the mood remains focused. But there’s little sign of the kind of fanfare that usually surrounds a European final. If United win, the club does not plan a public parade through the city. Instead, a modest barbeque is expected at the Carrington training ground.
It would be United’s first major European trophy since 2017, when José Mourinho’s side beat Ajax in Stockholm. That year, the club staged no open-top bus parade, a move that left some players frustrated.
“It meant a lot to us,” one squad member at the time said, reflecting years later. “You want to share that with fans.”
Logistics are tighter this year. United play Aston Villa at home just four days after the final, wrapping up their Premier League campaign. Then comes a commercial tour of Asia, with matches in Malaysia and Hong Kong. Players will return to Manchester on 31 May—just in time to join their national teams for summer fixtures.
Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, if fit, are expected to link up with Portugal ahead of a Nations League semi-final against Germany on 4 June. Brazil and Argentina also resume World Cup qualifiers in early June, with several United players likely to be involved.
As for Tottenham, their plans in the event of victory remain unclear. A public celebration seems likely. Liverpool and Newcastle have both marked recent triumphs with parades. Manchester United, by contrast, haven’t held one since Sir Alex Ferguson’s farewell in 2013.
Winning in Bilbao would be significant—but it may still be a quiet celebration.
