The 98-year tradition every team has to follow in first appearance at Europa League final stadium

The stadium which will host the Europa League final between Spurs and Manchester United carries a tradition which has lasted 98 years.

Spurs and United will square off in the all-English final on Wednesday 21 May at the San Mames Stadium, home of semi-finalists Athletic Club.

United have already played at the ground this season, dispatching Athletic 3-0 in the first leg before trouncing them 4-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday night.

The 53,000 capacity arena, the seventh-largest in Spain, was built in 2013 and is a modern upgrade of the old San Mames.

San Mames, which hosted the Women's Champions League final last year, has a host of impressive features such as illuminated panels outside the stadium and a large external video screen.

But the ground also retains a tradition which started in 1926 in honour of Athletic legend Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, better known as 'Pichichi' because of his frail frame.

Athletic Club's 98-year tradition at San Mames

Pichichi played for Athletic, his only club, in the 1910s and 1920s and scored 83 goals in 89 goals, as well as winning four Copa del Reys.

He also represented Spain at the Olympics and had a brief stint as a referee before dying at just 29 after reportedly suffering from typhus.

Pichichi is an Athletic legend and four years after his passing, the club unveiled a statue at San Mames and it became a tradition that whenever a team would play at the stadium for the first time, the captain would leave a bouquet of flowers.

Hungarian side MTK Budapest were the very first to do so prior to a friendly in 1927, and the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Schalke have followed suit.

When the Basque outfit moved to the new San Mames, they ensured there was a new spot to pay homage to Pichichi at the players' tunnel, with captains encouraged to show respect.

Brwa Nouri of Ostersunds laid flowers in 2017. Image: Getty

United played at the old San Mames back in 1957 and in 2012, with Sir Alex Ferguson taking an interest in the tradition at a stadium which he played at with Dunfermline and Rangers in his playing career.

Spurs' only meeting with Athletic was a friendly at White Hart Lane in 2011 and so the final could open the opportunity for them to participate in the gesture.

Pichichi's legacy has also been commemorated in the form of the La Liga top goalscorer award, which is named after him and has past winners like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

SPORTbible has reached out to Tottenham Hotspur for comment.