Medal mix up mars Tottenham’s historic Europa League win but joy prevails

Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final marked a watershed moment for the North London club, delivering their first major trophy in 17 years. However, while the team celebrated on the pitch in front of jubilant fans, a surprising logistical hiccup left three of their most prominent stars momentarily empty-handed.

Following the final whistle, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin led the medal ceremony, beginning with manager Ange Postecoglou and working down the line of Tottenham players. Injured squad members like James Maddison, Timo Werner, Lucas Bergvall, and loanee Will Lankshear were all awarded medals on the podium in recognition of their season-long contributions.

But in an unexpected twist, club captain Son Heung-min, center-back Cristian Romero, and midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur found themselves without medals during the public celebration. The issue? A simple but impactful shortage of medals on the stage. According to UEFA, the organization had prepared 30 medals for the presentation—based on the matchday squad and key staff—but did not anticipate the number of additional team members who would take part in the on-stage ceremony.

Formal apology from UEFA: 'Unexpected participation'

UEFA issued a swift statement acknowledging the oversight, attributing it to a discrepancy in the expected versus actual participant count during the ceremony. "To our great displeasure, we did not have enough medals available on stage during the trophy ceremony presentation due to an unexpected discrepancy in the player count, as more team members - including injured players - participated in the ceremony than initially anticipated," the statement read. The missing medals were quickly delivered to the Tottenham dressing room after the ceremony, accompanied by a formal apology from UEFA.

The organization clarified that both finalists receive 50 medals, which are then distributed at the club’s discretion between players and staff. The shortage on stage was simply a matter of timing and miscalculation—not exclusion.

Despite the brief delay, joy ultimately prevailed. Son Heung-min, who had waited at the back of the queue in order to lift the trophy last with his teammates, was later seen proudly wearing his winner’s medal—the first of his senior career at either club or international level.