Clash of the clowns: How two of England's worst teams made it to a European soccer final

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, who’ve served up shambolic displays in the English Premier League all year, will square off in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Two of England’s worst-performing soccer teams have somehow found themselves in a high-stakes European tournament final. 

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, who’ve served up shambolic displays in the English Premier League all year, will square off in the Europa League final Wednesday in Bilbao, Spain. The winner clinches automatic qualification for the prestigious European Champions League and the multimillion-dollar payout that comes with it. 

It’s difficult to overstate how abysmal these iconic soccer teams have been in the English Premier League this season. 

Manchester United is 16th in the table, barely above the relegation zone. Its much-maligned Cameroonian goalkeeper, Andre Onana, has been prone to calamitous mistakes. And its forward line, spearheaded by Danish striker Rasmus Højlund, has been largely impotent. The entire team has scored only 42 goals in 37 league games throughout the entire season. 

“I always had this feeling of frustration for the season,” Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said Friday after his team’s 18th defeat of the Premier League season. The young Portuguese coach acknowledged that winning the Europa League on Wednesday wouldn’t compensate for the shocking performances fans have been subjected to all year. “Europa League is not enough,” he said bluntly.