'Doesn't sit right!' - Gary Lineker, Micah Richards and Alan Shearer disagree over 'incredible' Europa League reward as Man Utd and Spurs vie for Champions League qualification despite awful seasons and Arsene Wenger's protest

Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards discussed Arsene Wenger's claim that the winners of the Europa League should not automatically qualify for the Champions League during The Rest is Football podcast, with the three coming to contrasting conclusions. While Lineker, a former Spurs player, was defensive of the practice - insisting the rule has existed for some time - both Richards and Shearer are agog at the fact that one of the two teams who are currently 16th and 17th in the Premier League table will be playing in Europe's elite club competition next season.

Neither United nor Spurs have won any of their last five Premier League games, but they will go head-to-head in Bilbao next week. A win for United would do wonders for their summer transfer planning, but Spurs may well sack Ange Postecoglou regardless of the result.

Richards said: "It's only been highlighted because Spurs and Man United have been so bad in the league. That's the reward for winning it!"

Lineker added: "It's not like they've thrown this in at the last minute, it's been like that for a few years."

Richards replied: "It doesn't sit well with me though that you can be so bad in the league, win a trophy, and then get Champions League football, it's supposed to be the consistency throughout the season. But rules are rules, I don't think we should start debating that now, it's been like that for a while and you just roll with it."

Shearer mused: "That competition's different this year because the teams that drop out of the Champions League usually go into the Europa League so I think the standard in that competition has probably not been as high as it has been, hence why teams that are going to finish fourth and fifth bottom of the Premier League are going to be in the Champions League. It's incredible, really, when you think about it. Fourth and fifth bottom of the Premier League, Man United and Spurs, oh my goodness, it's like... wow."

Both teams have league fixtures before the final next week. Spurs face Aston Villa on Friday, while United face Chelsea on the same evening.