Tottenham will not play in Europe for the first time since 2009-10 after Aston Villa earned a spot in the Europa Conference League at their expense on the final day.
Spurs did their bit with a Harry Kane-inspired 4-1 win at Elland Road to relegate sorry Leeds but it was not enough to leapfrog Villa into seventh-place after Unai Emery's side beat Brighton at home.
For Spurs to have no European football to grace the best stadium in the world underlines just how badly the club's decision-makers, starting with chairman Daniel Levy, have erred since the club reached the Champions League Final in 2019.
Many supporters will regard dodging the Conference League as a positive, allowing Spurs' new head coach time and space for a proper rebuild next term, and ensuring the club has no excuse but to prioritise the domestic cups and perhaps concentrate their efforts on a top-four finish.
But the Conference League would have been an eminently winnable trophy next season, as West Ham have demonstrated, and Kane had already said it would have been a fine chance to end their painful trophy drought.
Despite a resounding win, sealed by a Kane double and goals by Pedro Porro and Lucas Moura, Spurs finished in their lowest position since 2008-09.
For supporters - who again chanted, "We want Levy out," - there will be relief that this season is finally over and optimism that the only way is up.
It remains to be seen, however, if their calamitous form will serve as a wake-up call for the board, with Spurs still to appoint a new manager and director of football as they head into the summer break.
Kane magnificent again
There remains a chance this was Kane's final game for Spurs and he marked it two superbly-taken goals, bringing up 30 in the League this season, and a magnificent assist for Porro.
There is nothing left to say about Kane's relentless quality and his importance to the club can scarcely be overstated; to score 30 goals (his equal best season) is this team is remarkable, and his goals have won 27 of Spurs' 60 points -- or a staggering 45 per cent.
Kane will now head for a well-earned rest before England's June internationals and talks with Levy, in which he wants to learn about the chairman's vision for the future and plans to be frank about the standards and values which the club has lost in the last few years.
Kane's future is sure to come up, too, but Levy has no intention of selling Spurs' talisman, for obvious reasons.
Money always talks, too, however, and as Kane enters the final year of his contract, all options remain on the table.
Reasons for optimism
Kane has been the only obvious positive from this wretched slog of a Spurs season but, here at Elland Road, was a small reminder that Spurs still have plenty going for them aside from the 29-year-old.
Yves Bissouma was an energetic and imposing presence at the base of midfield, who Porro was involved in three of the four goals, finishing superbly from Kane's pass at the start of the second half and returning the favour for Spurs' third.
Pape Matar Sarr had a lively cameo, Oliver Skipp finished the season strongly and there were debuts from the bench for youngsters Matthew Craig and George Abbott. Perhaps the future is bright, and interim head coach Ryan Mason deserves credit for lifting the players to finish the campaign on a positive note.
The game and campaign finished on a particular high, with Lucas' magnificent solo goal to make it 4-1 with practically his final touch for the club.
