Why Tottenham Captain Son Heung-min, Others Didn’t Receive Europa League Medals on-Pitch

• Three key Tottenham players were initially left without winners' medals during the trophy presentation after winning the Europa League
• UEFA admitted to a medal shortage due to a miscount and confirmed the missing medals were delivered to the players
• Captain Son Heung-min called the win a dream come true and a moment he’ll never forget

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Tottenham Hotspur’s euphoric Europa League final victory over Manchester United was briefly overshadowed by a medal mishap involving some of their most prominent players.

During the post-match celebrations in Bilbao, club captain Son Heung-min, midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, and defender Cristian Romero were visibly left empty-handed while the rest of their teammates collected winners’ medals on stage.

Meanwhile, injured players such as James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall, neither of whom were part of the matchday squad, were awarded medals after joining their teammates in full kit.

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UEFA apologises to Tottenham

In a statement issued on Thursday morning, European football’s governing body, UEFA, admitted to a discrepancy in the player count and offered an apology for the oversight, per Mirror.

"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.

UEFA also confirmed that the missing medals were delivered to the dressing room shortly after the ceremony, along with a formal apology to the players and Tottenham who have booked their 2025/26 Champions League place.

Son, Bentancur and Romero receive medals in dressing room

Despite the initial confusion, Tottenham's on-field leaders remained unfazed, choosing to focus on the historic nature of the night rather than the temporary snub.

Son Heung-min, who lifted the club’s first major trophy in 17 years, reflected on the moment with pride and emotion.

"This is what I've always dreamed for. Today is the day it happened. I am the happiest man in the world. There will always be tough moments in a season, but we stuck together. I can finally sleep easy now!" he said.

The charismatic forward joked about possibly missing his flight the next day, such was the scale of the celebrations.

For Son, Bentancur and Romero, three players central to Tottenham’s resurgence this season, the joy of winning far outweighed the medal mishap.

Maddison comments after Europa League win

One of the more surprising aspects of the situation was James Maddison’s full-kit appearance despite being sidelined with injury.

The midfielder later revealed he was instructed to change into his playing strip in order to be eligible for a medal.

"I had to be in full kit or no medal – so I wasn’t going to take any chances!" Maddison told reporters with a grin.

His presence on the stage, however, may have contributed to UEFA’s miscount, inadvertently leading to the shortage that affected his teammates.

Tottenham's amazing night in Bilbao Europa League final 2025

The 1-0 win over Manchester United sealed a long-awaited European trophy and marked a triumphant return to the top table of continental football, as Ange Postecoglu proved tactically better on the night, per BBC.

Harry Kane wins maiden career trophy with Bayern Munich

YEN.com.gh earlier reported Harry Kane's first career silverware won with German giants Bayern Munich.

The former Tottenham Hotspur striker, who joined the Bavarians last two seasons, lifted the 2024/25 Bundesliga under manager Vincent Kompany.

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Source: YEN.com.gh