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| 'Sorry shot, there are no medals left.' Capturing the Broadcast Screen |
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| Hey, where's the medal?' Capturing the Broadcast Screen |
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| Son Heung-min lifted the trophy without a medal. Photo =REUTERS Yonhap News |
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The European Football Association (UEFA) eventually bowed its head to the unpaid Europa League medal.
Uefa President Alexander Cheperin expressed embarrassment when he hung a winning medal around the neck of the winning Tottenham players after the 2024-2025 European Europa League (UEL) final between Tottenham and Manchester United in San Mames, Bilbao, Spain on the 22nd (Korean time). This is because all the medals to be delivered at the awards ceremony have been exhausted. Tottenham won 1-0 in the first half with Brennan Johnson's first goal to win the trophy for the first time in 17 years.
As a result, Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, defender Christian Romero, and midfielder Rodrigo Bentancourt, who were last on the podium, performed a victory ceremony without receiving a medal. Medals were hung around the neck of James Maddison, Timo Werner, Dejan Kulusevski, and even Sergio Reguilon, who was not listed on the UEFA list.
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| ReutersYonhap News |
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| ReutersYonhap News |
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| ReutersYonhap News |
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Reguilon told Spanish broadcaster that "I am not on the UEFA list, but they have brought medals to everyone. They said they would give 50 medals to each team, but even those who did not compete received the same medal."
In the end, UEFA said in an official statement on the 23rd (Korea Standard Time) that `there were not enough medals on the stage of the trophy ceremony due to the discrepancy in the number of players expected as more players (including injuries) attended the ceremony than expected. I am sorry about that. The unpaid medals were delivered immediately to the winning team in the locker room. I sincerely apologize for my carelessness."
Under UEFA's Europa League rules, both the winner and runner-up teams are awarded 50 medals. Medals are awarded to athletes and staff, and there is no limit to the number of participations in the competition. UEFA, however, has informed that each club will receive 30 medals. The remaining 20 were reportedly awarded to the club after the ceremony.
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| 사진=토트넘 |
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| 사진=토트넘 |
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| 사진=토트넘 |
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Son Heung-min, who received a medal in the locker room, conducted an interview with a medal around his neck in the mixed zone.
Even with UEFA's apology, the controversy does not go away. The British daily `Guardian' said `What raises concerns is that medals have been awarded to all eight judges.' The short three medals were given to the referee first to the unregistered player and the referee.
Son Heung-min and his friends, who returned to London with Europa League trophies and medals, are set for an open-top bus parade. According to the 'Guardian', Tottenham will start the championship parade at 1:30 a.m. on the 24th at Fore Street in Edmonton Green. The parade is planned to be completed at the stadium's service yard in Northumberland Park after travelling through Tottenham Hotspur Stadium along the High Road. It lasts about 60 to 90 minutes.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
