I'm absolutely fuming. Just checked hotel prices in Bilbao for the Europa League final and nearly spat out my coffee. A THOUSAND quid per night? Are they having a laugh?

Looks like we're heading for an all-English showdown in Spain on May 21st, with both Man Utd and Spurs having one foot firmly in the final. United smashed Athletic Club 3-0 in their first leg, while Tottenham handled Bodo/Glimt 3-1 before heading to Norway. Great for English football, absolute nightmare for English wallets.

The Accommodation Apocalypse

Listen. I've been to plenty of away days in my time, but this is getting ridiculous. Most decent places in Bilbao city centre are already fully booked. The few rooms left are priced like they come with a personal butler and gold-plated toilet seats. £1,000 per night? In this economy?

My mate Dave (die-hard United fan since '92) texted me this morning: "Thinking of selling a kidney to afford this trip." Poor bloke.

Flight Chaos That'll Make You Question Your Life Choices

It gets worse. Every single direct flight from London and Manchester during final week? Gone. Vanished. Like they never existed.

The "budget" option now involves stopping in Milan and will still set you back around £350. And that's if you're lucky enough to snag one before teh prices climb even higher.

Some fans are considering flying to Madrid and then figuring out ground transport. Others are contemplating driving across Spain. In May. With petrol prices what they are. God help them.

What Real Fans Are Saying

I spent way too much time last night scrolling through social media to see how other supporters are coping with this financial bloodbath. The responses were... colorful.

"Just looked at hotels in Bilbao. Is there any camp sites near by?" wrote one desperate soul.

Another simply stated: "Good luck booking a hotel in Bilbao for the 21st." The resignation in those words... I felt that in my soul.

My personal favorite came from someone caught in that universal struggle between passion and practicality: "Literally stuck between I need to get to Bilbao for the final and my bank account disagreeing with the flight paths."

So... Sleeping Bags Under Bridges?

Back in 2019, I spent £180 on a decent hotel for a European away day. Those days are long gone, friends. Long gone.

I'm seriously considering packing a tent. Or finding some distant Spanish cousin I didn't know I had. Or maybe just watching it down the pub like a normal person who doesn't hate money.

The worst part? If you wait to see if your team actually makes it through the second leg before booking, you're basically guaranteeing yourself either bankruptcy or a 17-hour travel odyssey involving three countries and a donkey.

The Brutal Reality

Football was never cheap. But this... this is something else entirely.

As one fan eloquently put it: "Corr flights and hotel priced for Bilbao are crazy for the Europa League final."

Corr indeed, my friend. Corr indeed.