UEFA 'block' Spurs' pre-match plan just hours before Europa League final against Man Utd
UEFA have officially 'blocked' Tottenhams Hotspur's pre-match plan ahead of their Europa League final against Manchester United.
On Wednesday night, the highly-anticipated Europa League final clash between rivals Spurs and United will get underway at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.
The result of the match will cause a massive fallout for both sides, with the losing side suffering hugely financially after what has been a dismal season in the Premier League.
With that in mind, the stakes for the final couldn't be any higher, and emotions for Spurs have been raised even further after UEFA stopped their pre-match plans on Tuesday night.
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Spurs arrived in Spain armed with flowers as they planned to offer a tribute to Athletic Bilbao legend Pichichi, but their plans were halted by UEFA officials for a bizarre reason.
The London club had planned for captain Heung-min Son to lay the flowers by Pichichi's famous bust at the San Mames Stadium on the eve of the Europa League final.
Doing so has been a long-standing tradition for all clubs playing at the Athletic Bilbao's home ground for the first time, but UEFA stepped in to stop Spurs from doing so.
They claimed that, while they did not stop Spurs from carrying out the ceremony, they had informed the Premier League side that it should only take place when they first play against Athletic Bilbao, and not against a neutral team.
Club officials are said to have been frustrated by the incident after being told that, although they would not be permitted to lay flowers on matchday, they could do so the evening before the final.
Rafael Moreno, Bilbao's legendary forward better known as Pichichi, tragically died due to a sudden illness in 1922 at just 29 years old.
But his legacy lives on through through the tradition of away sides leaving floral tributes that has been in place since 1927, and through the annual award Pichichi Trophy given to La Liga’s top scorer.
United made their Pichichi tribute ahead of the first leg of the Europa League semi-final in Bilbao, which they won 3-0.
Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, UEFA, Athletic Bilbao, Football, Europa League, Man Utd
Ben McCrum