Tottenham ‘to blame for farcical scenes’ in UEFA Europa League triumph
Tottenham ended their 17-year wait for a trophy by lifting the UEFA Europa League, but one incident threatened to ruin the occasion.
Ange Postecoglou delivered on his promise of winning a trophy in his second season as Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final at the Estadio de San Mamés on Wednesday (21 May).
It was a glorious night in Spurs’ history, while United are now left in ruins, with Ruben Amorim’s future uncertain.
However, in typical Tottenham fashion, the night wasn’t without some problems for the Lilywhites.
Son Heung-min lifts the Europa League without a medal
UEFA ran out of medals for the Tottenham players, as captain Son lifted the trophy without one.
As a result, the governing body released a statement and issued an apology to Tottenham while ensuring that all players were handed their medals in the dressing room.
| Trophy | Times Won |
| Division One | 2 |
| FA Cup | 8 |
| League Cup | 4 |
| UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League | 3 |
| European Cup-Winners Cup | 1 |
However, ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – thinks Postecoglou’s side are just as much to blame for the incident as UEFA.
“Players were going up to collect medals who weren’t even on the teamsheet,” King said.
“That seemed a little bit farcical to me. I know those players who didn’t get their medals received them in the changing rooms afterwards. However, let’s be fair, part of winning a tournament is wearing your medal as you lift the trophy. You’re meant to collect your trophy and the medal.
“The two main players, Son, the captain, and Cristian Romero, the man of the match, weren’t wearing medals when they lifted the trophy. I think Tottenham need to take the blame, I think it was their fault for allowing so many people to go up and collect medals.
“It should be the manager and the players in the matchday squad who go up first. Then, if there are enough medals, send up the injured players and backroom staff. If there aren’t enough medals left for the likes of Romero or Son at that moment in time, that is ridiculous.
“Tottenham are just as much to blame here as UEFA, they should’ve regulated who was going up.”
Tottenham players won’t care about medal controversy
When all is said and done, it is hard to imagine Son, or any of the other players who lifted the trophy without a medal, will care all too much.
The post-match celebrations, which have continued since Spurs’ return to London, demonstrate just how much this victory means to the players and the North London club.
As a result, all that Son and his teammates will remember is the night they made history, not a small mishap with the medals.