Tottenham reveals uniform for Europa League final featuring Son Heung-min as model

"As a starter, a team leader; as a substitute in the second half, a game changer."

Tottenham revealed the uniform they will wear for the UEFA Europa League final through their social media on the 18th (Korean time). Tottenham, assigned as the home team, will wear their home kit. Son Heung-min was chosen as the model for the uniform they will wear in the final. By placing Son Heung-min prominently, who had an uncertain participation due to injury, they effectively hinted at his starting role in the final.

Tottenham will face Premier League rival Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final for the 2024-2025 season, which will take place at the Estadio San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain, on the 22nd. Both teams have been struggling in the Premier League, sitting at 17th and 16th, respectively, but they will meet at the top of European competition. Son Heung-min has also completed all preparations. Tottenham announced on their official website, "Son Heung-min played for 74 minutes in the match against Aston Villa on Friday. After that, he said he feels good ahead of the Europa League final against Manchester United, which will be held in Bilbao on Wednesday night."

Additionally, Tottenham added, "Captain Son Heung-min returned to the starting lineup for the first time since the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal against Eintracht Frankfurt on April 10. He had missed seven matches due to a foot injury for the past month and made his return by playing for 30 minutes against Crystal Palace last week."

Fortunately, there is a positive signal for Son Heung-min's participation in the final. He had been sidelined due to an unspecified foot injury. With the recovery period unexpectedly extending, there were concerns about him being out for the season. However, Son Heung-min successfully made it back in time.

Son Heung-min was substituted in the second half against Palace last week, played for about 32 minutes on the pitch, and performed well in his return against Villa, playing for around 74 minutes, which helped him regain his competitive edge. If this trend continues, he is expected to start the final unless there are significant surprises. Coach Ange Postecoglou also expressed hope, saying, "I hope Son Heung-min leads the players well."

This Europa League final is incredibly important for both Tottenham and Son Heung-min. Tottenham is experiencing a dire season, having lost a staggering 21 matches in 37 rounds, setting a record for the most losses since the Premier League's inception. They have already secured a new lowest points record. If they lose in the final round against Brighton & Hove Albion, they will tie the record for the most losses in a season across their club history of 42 matches.

From Son Heung-min's standpoint, he also longs to lift a major trophy. Son Heung-min has never raised a trophy on the adult stage with either Tottenham or the national team. In some ways, this tournament represents his best opportunity and could be the stage for his last dance.

Immediately after the Villa match, Son Heung-min commented on the UEFA Europa League final, saying, "There's still work to be done. We need to achieve something big on Wednesday to do that. We believe we can do it," adding, "As I said before, our goal is to get results on Wednesday. From now on, let's all gather with a common goal to make that happen on Wednesday."

Son Heung-min emphasized, "Wednesday (against Manchester United) will be the biggest day of my life. It will be really great. We will be excited. I hope we can make history," while stating, "This time is definitely different. I have prepared for this moment over the past 10 years." Son Heung-min has consistently expressed his desire to leave Tottenham as a champion and a legend.

Earlier, there were uncertainties regarding Son Heung-min's participation, but after consecutively playing in the matches against Palace and Villa, and being chosen as the model for the uniform they will wear in the final, it effectively hinted at his starting role. Attention is drawn to whether Son Heung-min can fulfill the role expected of the model for the final uniform and bring the trophy to the team.

Nonetheless, concerns remain about his optimism regarding a starting appearance. The BBC analyzed, "Son Heung-min has just recovered from injury and may pose a concern in terms of the performance and drive needed for a high-intensity match like the final." They added, "It reminds one of Harry Kane's experience in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final when he hurriedly returned after injury, suggesting that a compromise solution might be appropriate for him to come off the bench."

External opinions remain divided. The global media outlet The Athletic reported on the 18th, "Who will be the starting player for Tottenham in the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday? Coach Ange Postecoglou will have to make several important decisions ahead of the big match on Wednesday," while predicting Tottenham's best eleven for the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League final.

The outlet questioned, "Will Son Heung-min, starting on the left wing, be sharp enough to play a decisive role?" Following this, they predicted the starting role for Odo Ber on the left wing. They seem to believe that Son Heung-min would likely wait on the bench and enter in the second half as a 'game changer.'

The Athletic remarked, "It was the toughest decision. Son Heung-min and Harry Kane have been Tottenham's most important players over the past decade. Son Heung-min expressed his desire to win earlier this week. It would be very disappointing if he were unable to lift a trophy while playing for Tottenham, but emotions must not affect the starting decision."

The largest underlying reason for considering excluding Son Heung-min from the starting lineup is, of course, the impact of his injury. The Athletic pointed out, "Son Heung-min has missed over a month due to a foot injury. He looked vibrant in the first half of his return match against Aston Villa. However, he has struggled this season and has often slowed down the attacking pace."

Additionally, they expressed hope that Odo Ber's speed could exploit cracks in the Manchester United defense. The outlet stated, "Richarlison started as a left winger in both legs against Bodo/Glimt. However, the prospect of attacking Manchester United’s center-backs with quick players like Odo Ber or Mathis Tell is quite appealing. I would recommend Odo Ber."

The outlet finally predicted Tottenham's best eleven as Odo Ber, Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson; Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur; Destiny Udogie, Mickey van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro; and Guglielmo Vicario in goal. With Maddison, Kulusevski, and Lucas Bergvall all sidelined, Coach Postecoglou has limited options.

Public interest is focused on whether Son Heung-min will start or be on the bench. Fans are curious about what conclusion Coach Postecoglou's thoughts on the various possibilities for Son Heung-min's participation and utilization method will lead to.

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