Man United forced into kit change for Europa League final against Tottenham
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur face off in the Europa League final on Wednesday evening
Manchester United will don a slightly altered strip for the upcoming Europa League final, where they face fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao on Wednesday evening.
Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou are set to lock horns in a bid for silverware after challenging seasons, with the additional prize of a Champions League spot next term also at stake. Both teams have set foot in Spain in anticipation of Wednesday night's clash.
Yet, when United step onto the San Mames pitch, their players will be wearing black shorts in lieu of the usual white, paired with their iconic red shirts and black socks.
This change has been necessitated by Spurs' longstanding European tradition. The club from North London has donned an all-white getup in Europe since 1961, a custom established by then-manager Bill Nicholson.
As the 'home' team for the finale, Tottenham's kit preference holds sway over that of United's. Spurs' choice to wear all-white dates back over 60 years, initiated by Nicholson to aid player visibility in poorly lit stadiums, reports the Mirror.
The tradition commenced during an away match against Polish team Gornik. "We just turned up in the dressing room for the game and there was the all-white kit," recollected former Spurs winger Cliff Jones.
"No-one said anything; nothing was said to us. We just focused on the game coming up."
Ricky George, who was an apprentice at the time, reflected: "The all-white kit was for visibility. It was Bill Nick's way of looking for those marginal gains. Those nights at White Hart Lane, under the lights, were just very special.
"We loved playing in all-white," Jones commented. "I honestly cannot say for certain it made any difference in making us see each other better under the floodlights, but we did love playing in it. European nights we felt fresher, the air was different."
United's choice to tweak their kit isn't unprecedented this season; they donned black shorts for their away fixture against Real Sociedad in March, a match that concluded with a 1-1 draw following strikes from Joshua Zirkzee and Mikel Oyarzabal.
Yet, they reverted to their classic white shorts for the return leg at Old Trafford, where the Red Devils triumphed 4-1, buoyed by a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick. Regardless of their attire, United are eager to claim victory in the final and secure their spot in next season's Champions League.
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