Not everything in football has an explanation. Not when Tottenham Hotspur, allegedly mentally weak, without their best player, without a functioning midfield, without a signing in the last two transfer windows, without a stadium until April, without any successful experience in the Champions League group stage, in relegation form in the Premier League, having barely played well in months, having drained themselves physically and mentally, having given every last drop on the pitch, could still find a way to get past Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City and Ajax, each one more dramatic than the last, and end up in the final of the Champions League.

Football journalism has always been built on post facto story-telling. Start with the outcome, skip past the little details, and work backwards until you have reverse-engineered a satisfyingly complete explanation, the ‘big why’ of the result. As if the full-time score was always inevitable from the kick-off.

But this does not work so well in the Champions League, the competition where randomness still reigns. And is certainly does not explain the stunning run of Tottenham Hotspur.

Because this is the most surprising and most unlikely run to the final in a generation.

We like to think of the Champions League as meritocratic, even though we know it is not. It gives us satisfying finals – Real Madrid against Liverpool or Juventus or Atletico Madrid – that feel like the two best teams in Europe, or near enough. But it is a knock-out competition with a distorting away goals rule, and accidents happen. Just look at the last five years in the life of Pep Guardiola. His Bayern team had a strong claim to be the best in Europe but could not reach a Champions League final. His Manchester City team is even better and they cannot even make the semis.

Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Show all 23 1 /23 Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Ajax 2-3 Tottenham (3-3 Spurs win on away goals) Tottenham players celebrate after scoring their third goal during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Peter Dejong AP Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Andre Onana - 7 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 8: Andre Onana of Ajax celebrates 1-0 during the UEFA Champions League match between Ajax v Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruijff Arena on May 8, 2019 in Amsterdam Netherlands (Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images) Soccrates Images Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Noussair Mazraoui - 6 Tottenham's Danny Rose, right, duels for the ball with Ajax's Noussair Mazraoui during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Martin Meissner AP Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Matthijs De Ligt - 8 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 8: Matthijs de Ligt of Ajax celebrates 1-0 during the UEFA Champions League match between Ajax v Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruijff Arena on May 8, 2019 in Amsterdam Netherlands (Photo by Erwin Spek/Soccrates/Getty Images) Soccrates Images Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Daley Blind - 6 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 08: Daley Blind of Ajax walks out prior to the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena on May 08, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) Dean Mouhtaropoulos Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Nicolas Tagliafico - 6 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 08: Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Nicolas Tagliafico of Ajax during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena on May 08, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images) Chris Brunskill/Fantasista Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Lasse Schone - 6 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 08: Lasse Schone of Ajax Amsterdam during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena on May 8, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images) Matthew Ashton - AMA Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Frenkie de Jong - 8 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 8: (L-R) Frenkie de Jong of Ajax, Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Ajax v Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruijff Arena on May 8, 2019 in Amsterdam Netherlands (Photo by Soccrates/Getty Images) Soccrates Images Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Hakim Ziyech - 8 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 08: Hakim Ziyech of Ajax Amsterdam scores his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena on May 8, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) TF-Images Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Donny van de Beek - 7 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 08: Donny van de Beek of Ajax is challenged by Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena on May 08, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Simon Hofmann - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) Simon Hofmann - UEFA UEFA via Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Dusan Tadic - 7 Ajax's Serbian forward Dusan Tadic (R) vies with Tottenham's English defender Kieran Trippier (L) during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena, in Amsterdam, on May 8, 2019. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images EMMANUEL DUNAND AFP/Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Kasper Dolberg - 5 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 8: Kasper Dolberg of Ajax during the UEFA Champions League match between Ajax v Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruijff Arena on May 8, 2019 in Amsterdam Netherlands (Photo by Erwin Spek/Soccrates/Getty Images) Soccrates Images Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Hugo Lloris - 6 Tottenham's French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris reacts during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena, in Amsterdam, on May 8, 2019. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images EMMANUEL DUNAND AFP/Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Danny Rose - 6 Ajax's Hakim Ziyech, left, duels for the ball with Tottenham's Danny Rose during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Martin Meissner AP Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Jan Vertonghen - 5 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 8: Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Ajax v Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruijff Arena on May 8, 2019 in Amsterdam Netherlands (Photo by Soccrates/Getty Images) Soccrates Images Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Toby Alderweireld - 6 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 8: (L-R) Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur, Kasper Dolberg of Ajax during the UEFA Champions League match between Ajax v Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruijff Arena on May 8, 2019 in Amsterdam Netherlands (Photo by Soccrates/Getty Images) Soccrates Images Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Kieran Trippier - 6 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 08: Dusan Tadic of Ajax is challenged by Kieran Trippier of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena on May 08, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images ) Dan Mullan Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Victor Wanyama - 4 Tottenham's Victor Wanyama lays on the pitch after being fouled during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Martin Meissner AP Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Moussa Sissoko - 6 Tottenham's French midfielder Moussa Sissoko reacts during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena, in Amsterdam, on May 8, 2019. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images EMMANUEL DUNAND AFP/Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Christian Eriksen - 7 Tottenham's Christian Eriksen, left, duels for the ball with Ajax's Frenkie de Jong during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Martin Meissner AP Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Son Heung-min - 6 Soccer Football - Champions League Semi Final Second Leg - Ajax Amsterdam v Tottenham Hotspur - Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands - May 8, 2019 Tottenham's Son Heung-min reacts REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW REUTERS Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Dele Alli - 8 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 8: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Ajax v Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruijff Arena on May 8, 2019 in Amsterdam Netherlands (Photo by Soccrates/Getty Images) Soccrates Images Getty Images Player ratings: Ajax vs Tottenham Lucas Moura - 9 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 08: Lucas Moura of Tottenham Hotspur looks dejected during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena on May 8, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) TF-Images Getty Images

Tottenham’s run to the final has been proof of the pervasive randomness of this competition. Rank the best four teams in Europe and Spurs would not be there. Rank the top eight and you would have to argue hard for their inclusion.

Relative to the competition, they are the weakest team to reach a Champions League final in years. Chelsea in 2012 were in transition, on the pitch and off, but they had won the double two years before and still had most of that team. Liverpool in 2007 are a stronger case – the team of Jermaine Pennant and Boudewijn Zenden – but even they had won the Champions League two years before that. Spurs have no pedigree in this competition and have been treading new ground for weeks.

That underdog status has been borne out in the way they have scrapped and scraped their way through to the final. The whole campaign has been a triumph of against-the-odds unlikeliness, contingency and chance. Which is why it has been so exciting, so unusual and so resistant to trite explanations.

Just look back through the little moments that have bounced Spurs’ way over the course of this campaign. Harry Kane’s late show against PSV Eindhoven at Wembley in November, his last-minute deflected winner just keeping Spurs alive. Or Christian Eriksen’s late winner against Inter three weeks later. Or Lucas Moura’s equaliser with five minutes left on the clock in the Nou Camp. That was five months ago and at the time it felt more like the end of the story than the start.

Tottenham reached the final in the most inexplicable way possible (AFP/Getty)

Even the knock-out rounds has been one long string of unlikelihoods, close calls and decisive details turning on one bounce or kick. Like Sergio Aguero not scoring that penalty at White Hart Lane. Or Aymeric Laporte losing his head at the Etihad, twice. Or the intervention of Fernando Llorente’s hip, and the VAR clearing it, or Aguero stepping offside in added time, and the VAR spotting it.

Ajax was a similar story. David Neres hit the post in the last minute of the first leg when he could have pulled his team away from Spurs. Last night it was Hakim Ziyech’s turn to hit the post with the tie level and 12 minutes left. And in the end it was a long ball to Fernando Llorente, a slip from Daley Blind and a flick from Dele Alli that set up Lucas Moura, a chain of little details that sent Spurs through.

But then this is the true power of the story of this run. This was not the culmination of any great plan or long-term strategy. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have spent billions to win this competition and have reached just one semi-final between them under their current owners. Spurs are making it up as they go along and have wound up in the final.

Mauricio Pochettino celebrates Tottenham's victory over Ajax after they reached the Champions League final (PA)

This has not been a story of inevitability, it has been the story of contingency, which is its opposite. It has been a run to remind you where the real thrill of football lies, and why this knock-out format is the best channel for it. Because you can feel the randomness. The chaos. The accidents. The luck. The bouncy unplannability of knock-out football, which has bounced Tottenham all the way through to the final.