Tottenham Hotspur: Supporters Become Bayern Munich Fans for a Week

For anyone who does not support Arsenal, Tottenham or Newcastle, what might have been slightly lost in the breathtaking final few moments of the English Premier League title race was the race for third and fourth places.

For quite a few minutes there, Tottenham actually looked to be in good position to grab third place and the automatic Champions League bid that came with it.

After all, Spurs had a lead and, except for a few random moments, looked fairly comfortable against a Fulham side missing Clint Dempsey; Newcastle were taken out of the equation by a deficit at Everton; and Arsenal were in a battle with a West Brom side that actually seemed up for it.

However, after trailing West Brom 2-1, Arsenal showed the mettle that helped them salvage their season and, with the help of some shaky defense, scored the winning goal in the 55th minute.

So what does this mean for Tottenham?

Instead of the automatic Champions League berth that would have come with a third-place finish, Spurs' fourth-place finish actually puts their position in a bit of doubt.

While England does receive four entrants in the Champions League each season, Chelsea's status as a sixth place side who is in this season's Champions League final throws a wrench in the story.

After the 2005 debacle, when Liverpool's victory in the Champions League final made England own five Champions League berths for the next year, UEFA changed their rules on the matter.

The new rules state that if the winners of the Champions League are not in a position to qualify for the competition in their domestic league, then they qualify for the next year's competition in place of the club in their league's last qualifying position.

Hence, if Chelsea win the final on Saturday, Tottenham are bound for the Europa League for the second straight season.

Now, after Spurs' fantastic experience in the Champions League two seasons ago, the club's main goal, and supporters' main hope, for this season was to earn another trip to the biggest stage in Europe.

Thus, a Chelsea win will render all the work done this season meaningless.

So, come Saturday, Tottenham supporters will, probably for the first time, be united behind a German club, as Bayern Munich take on Chelsea in the Champions League final.

Come on you...Bavarians?