An unexpected mix-up overshadowed Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League celebration, as Cristian Romero, Son Heung-min, and Rodrigo Bentancur didn’t receive their medals on the field and had to wait until they were back in the locker room.
An unusual incident overshadowed Tottenham Hotspur’s celebration after the recent UEFA Europa League final: Cristian “Cuti” Romero, along with teammates Heung-min Son and Rodrigo Bentancur, didn’t receive their medals on the field and had to wait to get them in the locker room.
According to an official statement from UEFA, the issue stemmed from an “unexpected discrepancy in the player count,” as more squad members than anticipated—including injured players—participated in the ceremony.
The podium had only 30 medals prepared, despite tournament rules requiring 50 medals per team, including players and coaching staff.
“We unfortunately did not have enough medals available on stage during the trophy ceremony,” UEFA admitted. “The missing medals were quickly delivered to the winning team in the locker room, along with our sincerest apologies.”
Son’s case was particularly notable: during the award ceremony, he didn’t receive a medal and was instead greeted with a hug from UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin. For Son, Romero, and Bentancur, this was one of the first major titles of their careers, making the moment even more meaningful.
The situation sparked criticism, especially since players like Sergio Reguilón—who didn’t play in the tournament—and Will Lankshear, who was on loan at West Bromwich Albion for the second half of the season, did receive medals. Injured players Timo Werner, James Maddison, and Lucas Bergvall also received theirs.
UEFA corrected the mistake minutes later in the locker room, but the scene had already made headlines: the champions without their medals on the main stage.
