Here in Bilbao, Ange Postecoglou backed it all up. Tottenham are Europa League champions. Their 17-year trophy drought is over. Their Champions League status reinstated.

But, for Postecoglou, the euphoria of his team’s historic win against Manchester United means far more.

It means he can puff out his chest and say: “I told you so.”

“I always win things in my second year. Nothing has changed. I don’t say things unless I believe them,” said Postecoglou in September.

For nine months his critics have been waiting for his now infamous quote to bite him on the backside.

Well, it hasn’t. Postecoglou, against the odds, has delivered on his promise.

He has provided the trophy, in his second season at the club, that Tottenham’s supporters so desperately crave.

“I’m a winner. Win is what I do the most,” said Postecoglou after his side’s victory over Manchester United. “Even when I signed, Daniel [Levy] said ‘we’ve gone after winners and it didn’t work, now we’ve got Ange’. Mate, I’m a winner.”

It begs the question: what next for the Australian?

There remains major doubt over Postecoglou’s future despite this epic night.

In the immediate aftermath of arguably the most significant trophy of his career, Postecoglou hinted that he wanted to stay on as head coach – intimating that he wanted to build on this Europa League success.

His future will be confirmed in the coming days, but amid the jubilation remains clear indications that he will leave Tottenham ahead of next season.

It remains to be seen whether what unfolded in Spain alters the direction of travel.

But if he does exit, he’ll go out via the front door – not ushered out the back. He’ll go out a winner.

And all this amid a backdrop of under achievement, transfer disappointments, internal tensions, injuries and supporter disquiet.

The story of Tottenham’s campaign starts with the visit of one of European football’s emerging Golden Boys.

It is a little known secret that Spurs’ preparations for the 2024-25 campaign started with a visit from Desire Doue.

The young attacker, then of Rennes, was so intrigued by Postecoglou’s project that he dashed across the Channel to make an undercover viewing of the club’s training ground in Enfield amid optimism that a deal for the young attacker was achievable.

Fast-forward nine months and Doue – who signed for Paris St-Germain – is preparing for a Champions League final.

In retrospect, Spurs’ failure to lure the 19-year-old was the sign of what was to come – the start of a series of blows during a truly forgettable domestic season.

It’s important to stress that Spurs’ inability to land Doue certainly wasn’t for the want of trying.

Doue’s reputation has soared while Tottenham and Postecoglou, so often this season, have been left wallowing in despair.

That’s not to say Spurs haven’t spent. Dominic Solanke, Wilson Odobert and Archie Gray arrived in July – before Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso came in on loan during the winter window.

It was intriguing then that Postecoglou says that once the January window closed that he decided he would focus the team’s attentions on winning the Europa League.

He candidly admitted that his approach was “at odds” with certain people at the club. That was a stark confession and a clear indication of why – despite lifting a trophy – Postecoglou’s future is still under threat.

You need only look at the Premier League table to ascertain how putting all their eggs in the European basket affected Spurs’ domestic form.

Equally, however, how do you tell Postecoglou he was wrong to prioritise the Europa League after what unfolded on Wednesday?

Speak to those behind the scenes and they will explain injuries have been the most pertinent factor behind Tottenham’s predicament.

Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and Guglielmo Vicario among many others have spent extended spells on the sidelines this season – many of them with muscular issues.

James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Kulusevski were all unavailable in Bilbao. Son started on the bench because he was deemed unfit having only recently returned from injury.

Indeed, multiple sources have told BBC Sport that the club’s crippling injury record has been at the centre of some friction between members of the coaching team and medical and strength and conditioning staff over the course of the season.

“It’s been the blame game,” one well-placed source said.

According to sources, Richarlison’s injury-disrupted campaign has proved a bone of contention, particularly in the aftermath of the 4-0 Carabao Cup defeat by Liverpool in February when, having only recently returned from respective hamstring and groin injuries, the Brazil international suffered a subsequent calf injury.

There have been other examples this season where Postecoglou’s team and the medical and fitness department haven’t seen eye-to-eye.

Has Postecoglou pushed players too hard? Or are the strength and conditioning and medical departments at fault? The answers will vary depending on who you speak to.