Tens of thousands of Manchester United and Tottenham fans have set off on their journeys to Bilbao ahead of the Europa League final between the two English clubs.
As many as 80,000 United and Spurs supporters are expected in Bilbao for Wednesday night’s final, with Spanish outlet El Correo suggesting locals are braced for the Brits to ‘colonise’ the Basque city.
Getting to Bilbao has proved to be an extremely challenging task for fans amid soaring prices for flights, accommodation and matchday tickets.
But that has not stopped some being willing to take obscure routes across the continent to see their team’s bid for European glory.
United fan and YouTuber Flex charted his journey on X on Tuesday morning, and he started off by taking a plane to Prague.
‘Road to Bilbao has began! he posted. ‘1st stop Prague lol!
Football fans are on their way to Bilbao as the Spanish city prepares for a British ‘colonisation’
A father and son posed with their drinks as they begin their journey to Europa League final
Three United fans headed to Seville before moving on to Bilbao to watch their side
Some Tottenham fans were seen clutching beers as they drove through France to get to Bilbao
‘Bring this trophy back & Champions League money to rebuild this squad! YANITED!!!’
After touching down in the Czech capital, Flex gave another update, writing: ‘Plane number 2! Madrid bound.’
That would at least put him in the right country, before a final trip to Bilbao to complete his quest.
Meanwhile, a group of Spurs supporters decided that heading to Paris first was the best route, as they wrote on X: ‘In France, next stop Bilbao.’
Three of the fans were seen clutching a beer as they looked to get into the spirit ahead of what promises to be an exciting but nervy evening for both clubs.
One female United fan had the same idea for settling the nerves as she posted a photo of herself clutching two pints of Madri at the airport alongside the caption: ‘See you in Bilbao’.
United won the Europa League back in 2017, and some of their supporters appear confident of creating more unforgettable memories on Wednesday.
One supporter posted a photo of him and his son holding a bottle of cider on a plane as he wrote: ‘Name something better than going to a European final with your son. First one for the lad too!!!’
Another group of three United fans posed with a flag after stopping off in a different Spanish city as they captioned their post: ‘Bilbao via Seville’.
Man United YouTuber Flex started off his journey to Bilbao by flying to Prague on Tuesday
He then revealed he was heading to Madrid before completing his journey to Bilbao
A group of United fans called for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers to leave the club
One Spurs account revealed they had chosen to drive to Bilbao and had stopped off at Lisbon first
The pressure is on Ruben Amorim’s side to deliver after a miserable Premier League campaign
Ange Postecoglou also knows his side must step up to end Tottenham’s wait for silverware
It has been a difficult season for United after major changes behind the scenes, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos taking over the day-to-day running of the club from the Glazers.
One set of supporters made it clear they were not convinced by either Ratcliffe or the Glazers as they held up a flag that read: ‘Glazers out, Ratcliffe out’ while standing next to their plane.
With airfares rising by the minute, some supporters have taken the decision to drive to Bilbao.
A Spurs fan account gave an update on their progress, writing on X: ‘Bilbao Bound. An 8.5 hour drive from Lisbon. COYS!’
United and Spurs have both endured miserable Premier League campaigns, and currently sit 16th and 17th respectively in the table.
But they are just one game away from Europa League glory, with Wednesday’s match having an estimated £100m on the line.
The winners will earn a place in next season’s Champions League, and could improve their chances of landing their top transfer targets this summer.
However, the losers will face a season without European football, and will likely have to cope with a restricted budget for the upcoming transfer window.
