Manchester United have been forced into a significant change of kit for today’s Europa League final against Tottenham.
Ruben Amorim’s side take on Ange Postecoglou’s men in Bilbao, with a lucrative place in next year’s Champions League up for grabs for the winner.
A win in the Basque country could be a defining moment for both managers in their tenures at their respective clubs, with both marooned deep in the bottom half of the Premier League table - United in 16th, Spurs in 17th.
Now, going into the high-stakes affair on Wednesday, Spurs could have a slight psychological advantage over their counterparts, and it all comes down to kit.
Spurs are technically the ‘home’ team for the final, and as such, have priority when it comes to sporting their traditional home kit.
In Europe, Tottenham’s kit differs slightly to the one they wear domestically.
In the top flight and domestic cup competitions, they wear navy shorts to complement their white shirts, but, owing to a tradition dating back to 1961, they wear white shorts when they play on the continent.
That is where the kit clash with United comes in, as the Red Devils wear white shorts with their red shirts.
On Wednesday, the shirts are not the clashing issue, but the shorts, forcing Amorim’s men to play with black shorts and socks to go with their red shirts.
Between the sticks, Guglielmo Vicario will wear yellow for Spurs, while Andre Onana will don a green jersey.
Spurs’ tradition of playing in all white dates back to when Bill Nicholson was in charge at White Hart Lane all those years ago, and the Spurs legend, capped just once for England in his playing career, had led the Lilywhites to their first European qualification in 1961, having completed the league and cup double.
Nicholson claimed that an all white strip would be more visible on poorly-lit pitches, and Spurs have worn all white in Europe ever since.
