Why You Should Be Watching (and Caring About) Various Cup Finals Around Europe
Earlier this week, Bologna won their first trophy since 1974, defeating European giants AC Milan 1-0 in the Italian Cup final. This marks an incredible rise for the Bolognese, who competed in this season’s Champions League after a 60-year absence, following a 5th-place finish the year before.
For those who don’t follow Italian football, you may not have had any preference about who won that match—but for most neutrals, rooting for the underdog is a natural instinct. In that context, all neutrals should really have been wanting Bologna to win their first silverware in 51 years.
In the next couple of weeks, there are several cup finals across Europe that deserve your attention. Even the sternest of neutrals will find their support pulled behind one particular team…
FA Cup Final: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City
On Saturday 17th May, the oldest football competition in the world concludes as Crystal Palace face juggernauts Manchester City.
Since Guardiola arrived at City in 2016, the club has won literally every competition it has entered at least once, racking up: 1 Champions League, 6 Premier Leagues, 2 FA Cups, 5 League Cups, 3 Community Shields, 1 UEFA Super Cup, and 1 FIFA Club World Cup.
This is their third FA Cup final in a row and sixth Wembley visit in just three seasons. The toll is showing—more than 10,000 of their 27,000 allotted semi-final seats went unfilled. City fans cite the expense of these constant trips to London, with the cheapest costs around £150–£200 per fan for tickets and travel.
Enter Crystal Palace: a club with a 120-year history and no major trophies. This one’s obvious, surely?
Europa League Final: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United
Two underachieving Premier League sides currently sitting 16th and 17th in the table will somehow contest a major European final. The winner earns not only the trophy but a place in next season’s Champions League.
Spurs last lifted silverware in 2008 (League Cup) and haven’t won in Europe since 1984. They’ve earned a reputation for falling short—so much so that “Spursy” is now a footballing term.
Manchester United, while less dominant post-Ferguson, have still picked up a few trophies (Europa League 2017, FA Cups in 2016 & 2024, League Cup in 2023). However, the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era has brought controversy: mass staff layoffs, cost-cutting measures like removing free meals, sacking Sir Alex Ferguson from his ambassadorial role, and limiting player ticket allocations for this final.
Would Spurs fans appreciate the win more? Possibly. But United’s chaos without Champions League money could be wildly entertaining.
UEFA Conference League Final: Real Betis vs Chelsea
The wage gap alone should sway neutrals toward Real Betis. Their estimated weekly wage bill is €970,000—Chelsea’s is around €3.3 million.
Chelsea are seasoned European winners (Champions League in 2021 & 2012, Europa League in 2013 & 2019). Betis? No European trophies, and their last silverware was the Spanish Cup in 1977.
Worse still, Chelsea fans didn’t even fill Stamford Bridge for their semi-final second leg vs Djurgarden—over 8,000 empty seats.
A Betis win would also continue a staggering record: Spanish teams are unbeaten in European finals for 28 matches over 25 years.
Coupe de France: PSG vs Reims
PSG are expected to win—always. They’ve taken 11 of the last 13 Ligue 1 titles and 6 of the last 10 French Cups. Anything less than a double is a failure in their eyes.
Reims? Their last trophy was the 1962 Ligue 1 title. Their wage budget is less than a tenth of PSG’s—€325k per week vs €3.5m.
This is the true David vs Goliath story. “Allez les Rouges et Blancs!” (Translation: Bugger PSG.)
DFB-Pokal: Arminia Bielefeld vs VfB Stuttgart
This one’s trickier. Both clubs would truly cherish a win.
Stuttgart’s last trophy came in 2007 (Bundesliga), but they played in the Champions League this season and have tasted some recent success.
But Arminia Bielefeld? Currently 12th in Germany’s second tier, their cup run has been fairytale stuff:
- Beat Hannover 96
- Beat Union Berlin (13th in Bundesliga)
- Beat SC Freiburg (4th)
- Beat Werder Bremen (8th)
- Beat Bayer Leverkusen (2nd, defending champs)
A second-tier club hasn’t won the German Cup since 1992. If Arminia pull it off, it’ll be one of the greatest cup stories in modern football.
Final Whistle: Pick a Side
Whether it’s history, economics, sentiment, or just pure underdog energy—there are plenty of reasons to ditch neutrality over the next few weeks.
You don’t need to support these clubs forever. Just pick a side and feel something. That’s what football’s all about.
