The last time Tottenham Hotspur won a European trophy it proved to be manager Keith Burkinshaw's last game in charge and as the club arrive in Bilbao for Wednesday's Europa League final against Manchester United, history could be repeating itself.
Burkinshaw is regarded as one of the club's greatest managers, taking the north London club to back-to-back FA Cup triumphs and then the 1984 Uefa Cup after a memorable two-legged final decided on penalties at White Hart Lane.
Shortly after that epic night, Burkinshaw parted company with Spurs over disagreements with the board and as local legend would have it, his parting words as he walked away were 'there used to be a football club over there'.
Forty-one years and countless managers later, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou faces a game that could well be his last -- win or lose against United in northern Spain.
Tottenham have suffered their worst ever Premier League season with 21 defeats, the same number Burkinshaw's side lost in 1976-77 when they were relegated to the old second division.
Burkinshaw survived, led the club back after one season and blazed an audacious trail by signing Argentina World Cup winners Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricky Villa for the club.
While 17th-placed Tottenham have avoided relegation, Postecoglou's demeanour as the Premier League losses racked up has been that of a man who knows his time might be up.
Former Tottenham great Micky Hazard, part of the 1981-82 FA Cup final team and who famously lost a contact lens in the mud after scoring in the 1983-84 Uefa Cup semifinal win against Hajduk Split, says Burkinshaw's departure cost the club the chance of winning more silverware.
He strongly believes that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy should stick with Postecoglou if the Australian delivers the Europa League and ends a 17-year trophy drought on Wednesday.
"I think it's important that they get out of that cycle, win or bust, win or bust, win or bust," the 65-year-old Hazard told Reuters, speaking in his role as an ambassador for Freebets.com.
"Look through history and you look at Alex Ferguson. He took five or six years to win things with Manchester United and then he won things non-stop. Success - it's not overnight, and the longer it takes to get it, the more solid the foundation is.
"Alex Ferguson built on his first five years of not winning a trophy by winning everything for the next 20 years.
"When Keith (Burkinshaw) was allowed to resign I thought it was a big, big loss. I didn't agree with it.
"Will Ange stay? I'm of the belief that winning a trophy is the most amazing thing in football. I always say that if someone wins a trophy they have earned the right to have another crack.
"Would it be right to get rid of someone that changed the mentality and got the club over the line?"
NO EXCUSES
Hazard says Tottenham must play without fear against United on Wednesday and said despite missing several key players because of injury, there can be no excuses.
"Injuries are part and parcel of football," he said. "In 1984 we were without (Glenn) Hoddle, Ardiles, (Steve) Perryman, (Ray) Clemence and (Garth) Crooks and we went and won it.
"Look for excuses and you find excuses. It's an opportunity for players coming in to go and win a European final.
"Winning a cup final means playing with no fear, being brave. You don't just turn up in a final and it all goes your way. Nobody's going to give you this, you have to earn it."