boss

Federal prosecutors in the US will not seek the death sentence for Joaquin Guzman Lopez if he is found guilty at trial, court documents show.

Federal prosecutors in the United States said they will not seek the death penalty for the son of Mexican drug lord “El Chapo” if he is found guilty of multiple drug trafficking charges when he goes on trial.

According to media reports, federal prosecutors in Chicago filed a one-sentence notice on May 23, saying they would not seek the death penalty for Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman – the former leader of Mexico’s feared Sinaloa Cartel who is serving a life sentence in a US prison.

The notice did not offer any explanation for the decision by the federal prosecutors, or further details.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 38, was indicted in 2023 along with three of his brothers – known as the “Chapitos”, or little Chapos – on US drug trafficking and money laundering charges after assuming leadership of their father’s drug cartel when “El Chapo” was extradited to the US in 2017.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez’s lawyer said in an email to The Associated Press news agency on Tuesday that he was pleased with the federal prosecutors’ decision, “as it’s the correct one”.

“Joaquin and I are looking forward to resolving the charges against him,” Lichtman said.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez has pleaded not guilty to the five charges of drug trafficking, conspiracy and money laundering against him, one of which carries the maximum sentence of death as it was allegedly carried out on US territory.

He was taken into US custody in a dramatic July 2024 arrest alongside alleged Sinaloa Cartel cofounder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada on a New Mexico airfield.

Zambada has also pleaded not guilty. But his lawyer told the Reuters news agency that he would be willing to plead guilty if prosecutors agreed to spare him the death penalty.

Another of the brothers, Ovidio Guzman, is expected to plead guilty to drug trafficking charges against him at a court hearing in Chicago on July 9, according to court records.

“El Chapo” Guzman is serving a life sentence at a maximum security prison in Colorado.

Arne Slot thanked “the wider football community” for its support following the incident at Liverpool’s title parade as he was named manager of the year and Premier League manager of the year at the League Managers Association (LMA) awards.

About 50 people – including four children – were injured on Monday when a car rammed into crowds in central Liverpool.

Slot was honoured with the Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy at the annual LMA ceremony in London – which he did not attend.

After replacing Jurgen Klopp last summer, the 46-year-old only signed one player – forward Federico Chiesa – but still delivered Liverpool’s second Premier League title, winning the league by 10 points from Arsenal.

“I have had to withdraw from the event out of solidarity with all affected,” he said., external

“This is not a decision I have taken lightly but it is one that I feel is absolutely right given the seriousness of the situation.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the wider football community, including the LMA itself, the Premier League and many clubs for the support we have received over the last 24 hours.

Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said:, external “With Erik ten Hag, we have brought in an experienced coach with impressive success on the pitch.

“With three league titles and two domestic cup wins, he and Ajax dominated Dutch football from 2018 to 2022.

“And Erik demonstrated his quality as a coach with the ensuing success at Manchester United under difficult circumstances at times.”

Under former Liverpool midfielder Alonso, Leverkusen won a league and cup double in 2023-24.

They finished second in the Bundesliga this season, 13 points behind champions Bayern Munich.

Ten Hag, who will officially start his new role on 1 July, said Leverkusen are “one of the best clubs in Germany and also among the top clubs in Europe”.

He added: “I’ve come to Leverkusen to continue with the ambition shown in recent years. It’s an attractive challenge to set up something together in this period of change and develop an ambitious team.”

Erik ten Hag is on the brink of agreeing a deal to replace Xabi Alonso as manager of Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

Ten Hag has been out of work since being sacked by Manchester United in October.

The Dutchman has received a number of offers but opted to stay out of the game until this summer.

Earlier this month sources close to Ten Hag told BBC Sport the former Ajax boss was preparing to return at the beginning of July and was willing to assess any suitable offer.

Alonso, who is expected to replace the outgoing Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid manager, has quit Leverkusen after leading the club to their first Bundesliga title in 2024 in an unbeaten league campaign.

Leverkusen also completed a domestic double last season, beating Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final.

Although the club has not been able to maintain the same high standards this season, they still managed to finish second to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Ten Hag has experience of German football after spending two years in charge of Bayern Munich’s second team from 2013.

The 55-year-old won the FA Cup and League Cup in his two full seasons as United boss, finishing third in the Premier League in 2022-23.

However, although United kept faith with him after extended deliberation in the wake of last season’s surprise FA Cup final victory against Manchester City, he was sacked on 28 October following a 2-1 defeat at West Ham.

Tottenham’s victory sparked emotional scenes among their fans, with the club set to have an open-top bus parade on Friday before their final Premier League game of the season at home to Brighton.

By winning the Europa League, Spurs will also have a chance to win the Uefa Super Cup when they face the Champions League winners, either Inter Milan or Paris-St Germain, on 13 August in Italy.

However, whether Postecoglou is still in charge of the club then is unknown.

“I would be disappointed if we don’t continue on this path,” he added in the post-match news conference. “It is difficult to buy into one person’s vision. I have been a serial winner. I know people dismiss what I have won because it didn’t happen here, but they were hard earned.

“There is huge relief. You carry the weight of responsibility and 150 times I have been a spokesman for this club.

“There are no planned meetings. I’ll go back to my hotel room with friends and family, open up a nice bottle of scotch, a massive parade on Friday, game on Sunday against Brighton and then holiday. Then que sera, sera.”

Postecoglou joined Tottenham in June 2023, having won five trophies in two seasons at Celtic, including back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles.

In September, he said he “always wins things in his second season,” a statement which was true when he had been in charge of clubs for two full seasons.

He maintained that record in Bilbao and said: “People misinterpreted me. It was not me boasting, just me making a declaration and I believed it. I had this thing inside me more than anything else.

“I know our league form has been unacceptable, but coming third was not going to change this football club, winning a trophy would, that was my ambition and I was prepared to wear it if it did not happen.

“People kept reminding me of it because we were getting closer but I’m happy with that.”

THE BOSS of an iconic car brand has revealed a major update on its merger with a rival, as the company admits the EV push is hurting sales.

Despite rumours of a potential tie-up between Stellantis and Renault, both companies have denied seeking a partnership.

2

2

John Elkann, Stellantis Chairman, told the Financial Times: “We are not discussing any merger.”

Management at the automotive giant has been turbulent following the resignation of the former CEO, Carlos Tavares, who they still haven’t replaced.

The automotive giant currently oversees many carmakers such as Peugeot, Fiat and Vauxhall.

However, Stellantis has several underperforming brands, such as Chrysler, described as “a shadow of its former self,” according to motor1.com

Another failing car manufacturer is Abarth, which has seen revenues drop during its push to go fully electric.

This has caused major concern at Stellantis, adding to the company’s decision not to get involved in a massive merger.

Last year, the Auto conglomerate recorded a 12 per cent drop in shipments, which they blamed on “temporary gaps in product offerings”.

On the other hand, the Renault group reported their highest sales.

The two major companies share a common ground regarding the future of cars in Europe.

Both share concerns over strict emission regulations negatively impacting their profit and production of gas-powered city cars.

The European Union recently granted automakers an extension to meet their emission targets.

However, by 2030, stricter regulations will come into force, banning the sale of new cars with harmful emissions across the EU.

This comes after Europe’s second-largest carmaker halted production of an iconic model as its EV lineup faces “deep trouble”.

An initial manufacturing break at Stellantis has now been extended as bosses report a collapse in demand for electric cars.

The Fiat 500 was one of the vast company’s most successful and beloved models across two production runs lasting a collective 35 years.

Dating back to 1957, it has sold more than six million units between its two iterations.

However, the 500e, unveiled in 2020 as an electric alternative, has proved less popular.

The model is intended as the long-term successor to the 500 beyond the 2035 ban on petrol and diesel car sales.

But stuttering demand has now forced a pause in its production.

The latest data suggest that both the petrol and electric 500 sol 74,885 units from January to July.

That’s almost a quarter down on the same period last year.

Bosses told Autocar that poor sales were “linked to the deep difficulties experienced in the European EV market by all producers.”

They have also reportedly told union reps that the electric car segment is facing “deep trouble” more generally.

Fiat CEO Olivier François said: “We obviously, like everyone else, thought that the world would go electric faster and the cost of electrification would go down faster.

“But we couldn’t imagine that Covid would happen, shortage of raw materials would happen [and] the European Society – not all, not the youngest part – would turn their backs on the sustainable solutions.

“But this is the reality. We have to face those realities.”

Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby says she is “really excited” by the inclusion of 16-year-old goalkeeper Abbie Smith in her squad for the forthcoming Nations League games against Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Smith has been named in the senior squad for the first time after joining Manchester City on a two-year scholarship from Crusaders Strikers in March.

The teenager was brought in to train with the squad last month but is now officially part of the panel after impressing the NI boss.

Northern Ireland sit second in Group B1, four points behind the table-topping Poles before the final pair of fixtures.

They will play the unbeaten group leaders at Seaview in Belfast on Friday, 30 May and then travel to Zenica to face third-placed Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday, 3 June.

“Abbie came in and she was seamless in relation to training intensity, being in and around the group and the maturity that she showed,” said Oxtoby.

“There’s no doubting her talent so that was really impressive. The main thing when we’re looking at the younger players coming in is are they ready for that senior environment?”

Oxtoby has involved other young players in recent squads also, including Aimee Kerr, Abi Sweetlove, Keri Halliday and Kascie Weir.

“They’re all playing really well and they add a lot. They add a lot of quality to our group,” she added.

“We know their ability says they are, but from a cultural and an emotional point of view, are they ready? There are elements of that we need to appreciate are quite difficult for young players to come into.

“Our job is to support them in that and Abbie has really impressed in that area. We’re really excited to see how she goes in a full camp.”

Mikel Arteta says he is “unsatisfied and upset” that Arsenal are finishing another season without a major trophy.

The Gunners manager delivered a powerful and emotional speech as he addressed fans at Emirates Stadium after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle – Arsenal’s final home match of the season.

The result guarantees Arsenal a place in next season’s Champions League but it is now five years since the Gunners last won a major trophy – the FA Cup in 2020.

They were comfortably beaten to the Premier League title by Liverpool, were knocked out of the Champions League and Carabao Cup in the semi-finals, and went out of the FA Cup in the third round.

Arteta said he is ready to “give his life” to deliver a trophy for Arsenal.

“Liverpool have a trophy – we don’t have a trophy,” Arteta, who has delivered one FA Cup since he was appointed head coach in December 2019, said in his media conference.

“We are unsatisfied and upset. But I think we are on the right trajectory.

“What I can promise is that I will do my very best [to win a trophy] and I will give my life, and get every drop of everybody here to squeeze it and get the best out of them.”

Asked whether he thought fans still backed him, Arteta added: “That’s what I feel but they want more, they have expectations. We need to believe we are going to do it together.”

Barry Ferguson says he has “loved this experience” after it was confirmed that Saturday’s draw with Hibernian was his last match as interim manager of Rangers.

Ferguson, who took charge when Philippe Clement was sacked in February, had spoken about his desire to continue in the role, but those hopes have been dashed.

The 47-year-old leaves along with coaches Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor.

“I’ve already lived the dream as a player and as captain of Rangers, and to do so as head coach in these last three months has been an enormous honour,” Ferguson said.

“There have been some ups and downs, but I have loved this experience and given it my all throughout. The backing I have received has been phenomenal.

“I said, no matter how this period panned out, I would always remain a committed supporter of the club, and I look forward to remaining a Rangers ambassador.

“I wish whomever becomes the new manager every success in the job.”

LUCAS PAQUETA is getting ill and feeling stressed by the delay to his spot-fixing probe.

And West Ham boss Graham Potter wants the FA to resolve his case before next season so the club know if he will be part of a rebuild.

2

2

In May 2024, the Brazilian playmaker, 27, was charged with four counts of spot-fixing and two of obstructing an FA investigation.

This followed allegations he intentionally got a yellow card for betting purposes in four Prem games between November 2022 and August 2023.

The club say they have NO idea when the findings of this will be revealed, so do not know if he will be banned for life or found not guilty.

Being in limbo is taking its toll on Paqueta, who denies any wrongdoing, and he broke down in tears of frustration after being booked in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham on May 4.

Today’s clash against seventh-placed Nottingham Forest is the Hammers’ final home match of the season and it could be the last time he ever dons the claret-and-blue colours.

He was an unused sub against Manchester United last week with a  cold.

Potter said: “The week he had was  particularly tough  for him personally, which I think everybody can  understand.

“And then, as a result of that, he was feeling under the weather on the day before the game at Manchester United and during the game.

“So I didn’t want to risk him and make it worse for him. But he’s trained really well, he wants to be part of the team to help and we’ll see how to use him for the weekend.”

When he broke down in tears against Spurs, wife Duda Fournier took to Instagram to express her concerns about her husband’s mental state.

She said: “My husband has a posture and a strength that I admire and impresses me. We have been living this nightmare for two years.”

Asked if the situation was taking  its toll on Paqueta, Potter replied: “Obviously, you know what it’s like, sometimes you are in stress and  pressure, it can manifest itself in a different way.”

Asked if he wants clarity by the start of next season, Potter said: “For everybody concerned, yes. The sooner the better for everyone.

“In fairness to Lucas, he’s handled it brilliantly. Generally he’s come in and conducted himself in a really good way. He’s just ready to help the team.

“I think coming into work is a  distraction for him. It takes his mind off things.

“For me, I’m just there to support him, the same with his team-mates.”

The FA declined to comment when approached by SunSport.

It will be an emotional afternoon in East London also for the likes of Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal and Danny Ings.

The quartet, who were part of the 2023  Conference League-winning squad, have not been offered new contracts and will leave this summer.

Czech defender Coufal, 32, joined in 2020 from Slavia Prague.

And in a message to Hammers fans, he said: “I knew that once this time would come but I could not imagine how emotional it would be for me and my family.

“I can say with all honesty in my heart that I enjoyed every minute of being at West Ham. I am taking a lot of unforgettable memories with me.” 

Yet there are NO guarantees any of them will play a role today and be given a proper send-off as Potter is eyeing up a possible 13th-place finish.

He added: “There’s a lot at stake in the Premier League in terms of our points and what Forest are fighting for, so we have to make sure we pick the right team to try to win.

“Of course, emotion is always part of football so that can help. But we have to make the decision based on everything to try to win.”

A PRISON governor has been jailed over an illicit relationship with a drug gang boss who gifted her a £12,000 Mercedes.

Kerri Pegg was seen as a “rising star” in the Prison Service and quickly rose through the ranks to become governor at HMP Kirkham in Lancashire.

8

8

8

8

But her career is now in ruins after she embarked on a relationship with inmate Anthony Saunderson, who was known as Jesse Pinkman after the series Breaking Bad.

Pegg, 42, has now been jailed after she was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office.

One relates to the divorcee’s fling with Saunderson and the second by failing to disclose county court judgements about her debts.

She was also convicted of one count of possessing criminal property, the Mercedes car, from Saunderson.

Preston Crown Court heard Pegg released Saunderson on licence in 2019 despite not having the authority to approve the bid.

After he was granted his freedom, the prisoner used cash from selling 34 kilos of amphetamines to buy Pegg the Mercedes coupe.

On April 6, 2020, Saunderson was sent a message on Encrochat saying “car her for ya bird 12 quid or work” and a photo of the vehicle.

The court was told “12 quid” meant £12,000 and “work” meant drugs.

Saunderson asked “what work they want” and he was told “top or weed” – meaning cocaine or cannabis.

Two days later, he arranged for “17 packs” to be dropped off in Manchester to pay for the car.

The Mercedes was registered in Pegg’s name, with a pal messaging Saunderson: “Where u ya seedy man u and Peggy out floating orrel in the new whip?”

Law enforcement agencies cracked the criminal’s Encrochat and discovered he was involved in drug trafficking on a huge scale.

Saunderson, who was also known to his criminal pals as James Gandolfini -the actor who played Tony Soprano in the mafia TV Series – has now been locked up for 35 years.

8

8

The court was told other messages revealed the “ongoing nature” of his relationship with Pegg.

Police searched her home on November 19, 2020, and found a toothbrush and flip flops containing Saunderson’s DNA.

Officers also discovered a haul of designer clothing and found Pegg was subject to a number of county court judgements for unpaid debts.

Prosecutor Barbara-Louise Webster said: “Her downfall was two-fold, the first, despite having a good income, she lived beyond her means.

“She spent all her income and more, incurring debts and she had county court judgements made against her.

“As a consequence, she became vulnerable and open to exploitation.

“The second was that she became emotionally and personally involved with a serving prisoner, Anthony Saunderson and later accepted an expensive car, a Mercedes C class, which was paid for by him out of his proceeds of criminal activity ie trading in drugs.”

Pegg joined the prison service in 2012 as a graduate entrant and worked at prisons in Risley, Liverpool and Styal.

By April 2018, she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, where Saunderson was serving a lengthy jail term.

He had been locked up in 2014 for his part in importing £19m of cocaine in shipments of corned beef from Argentina.

From the start, there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to prisoners.

It was also noted that she spent a lot of time in her office with Saunderson.

In October 2018, he put in a request to be released on temporary licence.

Despite Pegg not having the authority to green light his release, she intervened and approved his application without notifying the official who should have dealt with the case.

Days later she was moved to another jail, later becoming duty governor at HMP Lancaster Farms.

Saunderson meanwhile was revealed as one of nine gangland figures responsible for producing amphetamines on an industrial, multi-million-pound scale.

The gang made and dealt 2.6 tonnes of amphetamines worth £1million – as well as trafficking heroin, cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, MCAT and diazepam.

Tarryn McCaffrey, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “Kerri Pegg’s conduct fell far short of what might be expected from any professional within the Prison Service, let alone one of such a senior grade as prison governor.

“She was clearly involved in an inappropriate relationship with Saunderson after he was released and the evidence points to this going back further, to a time when he was in jail.

“This relationship, and the fact that Pegg failed to disclose her debts to her employers, amount to a gross breach of trust and are therefore extremely damaging to public confidence.”

8

8

Selles had guided Reading to sixth in League One despite their off-field concerns when he left for East Yorkshire on 6 December.

Predecessor Walter had been relieved of his duties the previous week after a run of nine matches without a win.

Selles claimed his first win as Tigers boss with a 2-1 home victory over Swansea on 21 December to end a winless run of 13 matches.

Although they claimed notable results away from home under Selles, including wins at promotion-chasing Sheffield United and Sunderland, they found home wins incredibly hard to come by and ended the season with the worst home record in the division.

Defeats at the MKM Stadium by fellow strugglers Luton and Derby meant they went into the final game of the season in the Championship relegation zone.

Other fixtures meant a win would guarantee their survival and, although they were pegged back at Fratton Park after Matt Crooks had given them the lead, a point proved to be enough to keep them up on goal difference.

After the match Selles told BBC Radio Humberside: “Everyone in the club managed difficult moments and it has been a tough season for everyone and we deserved to stay in the division.

“We had a team that was rock bottom and to achieve the target this season with all the injuries and everything else is just massive.

“Now it’s over and we crossed the line, we can rest a little bit and I told the players that we will remember this day for years to come.”

The aftermath of the West Ham defeat has been filled with stories about the plans United’s hierarchy have put in place around the final.

Limits have been placed on the number of tickets players are allowed – and what staff are entitled to.

There will be no parade in the event of a win against Tottenham. Instead celebrations will be restricted to a low-key barbeque at the club’s Carrington training ground when Amorim’s squad return on Thursday.

Evidently, Amorim and his players have the financial muscle to pay for their friends and family to get to Bilbao if needed.

However, others who work closely with the first team are not in the same fortunate financial position.

So, at a time when a second round of up to 200 redundancies are planned following the 250 jobs that were axed last year, Amorim and his players have decided to help out by paying for some tickets for the backroom team’s families.

“The situation is simple,” he said. “We have a lot of things, with people leaving and a lot of changes in the staff, so at this moment in our club sometimes it is hard to know when to give and when to take.

“We have to respect the people whose jobs are being taken to survive and rebuild.

“It is complicated for the club to start giving to other members of staff, which makes it a really hard position.

“That situation was explained so my reaction was to help.

“It is not going to change my life [financially]. To help the staff be there and comfortable means they will be better staff for the final.

“We talk to the players and the players have the same reaction – everybody wants their families there.”

Amorim has his own experience of a Europa League final, as a player in the Benfica side beaten on penalties by Sevilla in Turin in 2014.

Aside from the £100m financial windfall that qualification for the Champions League would bring, as a straightforward football match Amorim knows next week is not a game to lose.

“I will never say I was a finalist,” he said. “The feeling has to be ‘what a waste of time’.

“My message to the players is we have to win or it doesn’t matter.”

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim says he is “far from quitting” his job after saying he may have to give the “space to different people” if their poor form continued following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by West Ham in the Premier League.

READ MORE: How bad have Amorim’s United been in the Premier League?

EastEnder bosses are set to send fans into overdrive after they teased the return of an iconic cast member from the past following their latest BAFTA Awards win in London

EastEnders bosses have teased huge news is coming for their fans in the way of a sensational character return. As the show bagged another BAFTA in London on Sunday evening, the BBC soap’s producers hinted viewers are in for a treat in coming months.

Speaking after EastEnders lifted the coveted Best Soap Awards at London’s Royal Festival Hall, show bosses left a cryptic message for fans: “If you like a return, then you’ll like what we have in store,” the team told Mirror and other publications in the winners area at the awards.

“It’s incredible for the 40th year,” they told reporters. “It’s a big month for us actually because EastEnders won the Craft BAFTA Special Award a couple of weeks ago.”

They added: “For this to be today as well, it’s just, what a month. We’ve had an incredible time.”

When asked if there was pressure now on their shoulders to top the recent success, they added it’s been “phenomenal” but claimed there will be exciting times ahead.

Then, opening up on the plans for the coming months, they teased: “There’s potentially one [a former star] returning.”

As they were probed further, they added: “I think that we can tease that all those heartline characters have some really, really big stuff coming up. We have some unchartered territory which considering we’re following on the heels of Mr Clenshaw [Chris Clenshaw, executive producer] it’s quite an accolade because he has broken quite a lot of records covering fresh ground.

“So I think the challenge for Ben who is our new exec has been to carry on kind of after Chris’ success really, but he is very much ready to do that and we’re excited….there are some really big stories coming up and if it’s a return you’re after then, yeah, you might be interested in what’s on the horizon.”

Earlier, the soap’s producer Chris Clenshaw had accepted the award alongside cast member. They had to fend off competition from other shows in the category, including BBC’s Casualty and ITV’s Coronation Street.

Emmerdale had earlier been forced withdraw its entry from the Best Soap and Continuing Drama categories after one of its top writers admitted to assaulting his partner.

A spokesperson for the ITV soap told The Mirror: “ITV and Emmerdale have taken the decision to withdraw the episode nominations from this year’s BAFTA TV Awards. This is in consideration of developments in recent days involving a member of the scriptwriting team.”

In January, soap writer Martin Fustes, 47, admitted to assaulting his partner, causing actual bodily harm and an offence of intentional suffocation. Hee was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, 150 hours of unpaid work, 15 days of rehabilitation and a 26-session probation service domestic abuse programme in Hull Crown Court in March.

READ MORE: Adolescence star Ashley Walters on ‘finding peace’ riding electric motorbike

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

“If it’s so easy to get to a final, then why doesn’t everyone who finishes in the top three do it?”

In Norway, boss Ange Postecoglou took aim at Tottenham’s critics after they reached the Europa League final as he remained on course to continue his record of winning a trophy in his second season.

Spurs eased past Bodo/Glimt 2-0 in the second leg of their semi-final in the Arctic Circle to complete a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday.

Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro sent Spurs to the final, where they will face Manchester United in Bilbao on 21 May.

Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League after a poor domestic season and are chasing their first major trophy since 2008.

Postecoglou has come under huge criticism for Tottenham’s form, despite losing a number of senior players to injury. They won in Norway without James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall – both out for the season – with Son Heung-min also missing.

At times he has been mocked after stating, accurately, he wins trophies during his second season at a club.

In the Aspmyra Stadion, minutes after seeing his team reach the final, he came out fighting again.

“It’s going to upset a lot of people isn’t it,” Postecoglou said. “The debate’s now raging. The latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win, they’re just going to take a team photo because we’re not worthy.

“I mean, who cares if we’re struggling in the league? It’s a separate thing. It’s got nothing to do with league form.

“I couldn’t care less who’s struggling and who’s not. I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there.”

It is Tottenham’s sixth European final – their last was in 2019 when they lost to Liverpool in the Champions League.

Since winning the 2008 Carabao Cup Spurs have lost three finals and been beaten in three semi-finals. They have also reached four FA Cup semi finals without progressing.

The club has not lifted the Europa League in 41 years, since beating Anderlecht to win what was the Uefa Cup at the time.

“I’ve said all along that this is important,” Postecoglou continued. “What’s happening now is people are fearing that – that it actually might happen, and let’s see how we can tear it down somehow and diminish it somehow by saying it’s been a poor season and we don’t deserve this or we don’t deserve that, or somehow comparing us to Man United.

“Maybe if we had Man United’s success then maybe I’d have a different view. So, of course it’s massive. Of course it is, because you have to frame it against what this club has been through over the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have been through.

“We’ve given them some real hope and something to dream about that we can do something special this year.”