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Tottenham Hotspur: Athletic journalist discuses the importance of the Europa League

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On the latest View from the Lane podcast, Jack Pitt-Brooke, James Maw, and Charlie Eccleshare have been reacting to Sunday’s 2-1 win against North London rivals Arsenal.

One topic of conversation on the recent episode, which was titled: ‘North London Derby – Reaction‘ was why Spurs should be doing everything they can to assure they at least secure a Europa League spot ahead of next season. The Lilywhites are currently eighth in the Premier League, suggesting a Champions League spot may be out of their reach, especially after Manchester City’s ban was overturned on Monday, however, a place in next season’s Europa League is certainly still on the cards.

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Here’s what Eccleshare had to say about the Europa League and it’s potential financial importance to Spurs: (23:58)

“Not only was it a six-pointer it was also potentially a very, very important game financially because by winning it, Tottenham leapfrogged Arsenal in the table into eighth position, which is currently the last Europa League spot. Europa League can be worth around £40 million to a team. This is from TV rights and prize money, you get a bit more from matchday as well. That’s what Chelsea and Arsenal got from winning it and reaching the final last year. Obviously, that money would then be taken away from Arsenal.

“So that’s about an £80 million swing, which, at any time is pretty significant, and especially now, given the global pandemic and Spurs [are] paying off the stadium and all of this so it’s actually looking at how significant that could be and the fact that, I think for a lot of people, it felt like this wasn’t such a high-stakes game, but that really could be quite important.

“Mourinho was talking about after the game how the Europa League is something they really want to win. It’s a competition he has won twice before. So it’s not just the financials, it’s also a trophy, potentially in itself to go after and another route back into the Champions League. So, yeah, [it’s] potentially [a] quite significant win.”

TIF Thoughts…

Mourinho won the Europa League with Manchester United back in 2017, so we can understand why he feels that he could deliver similar success with Spurs next season, should they qualify for the competition.

Do you want to see Spurs in the Europa League next season?

Yes, it's a potential trophy

Yes, it's a potential trophy

No, it's just another distraction from the league

No, it's just another distraction from the league

As Eccleshare states, European football can deliver a lot of financial success for Spurs, and considering the financial impact of the viral outbreak, that could be really important for Spurs in the long-term.

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