Europa League Medal Rules Explained as Three Tottenham Stars Miss Out on-Stage Presentation

Tottenham have been give 50 winners medals by UEFA (Image: Michael Regan - UFEA via Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur finally ended their long trophy drought by clinching the Europa League title with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Wednesday night.

In addition to lifting the trophy, Spurs also secured qualification for next season’s Champions League. The squad headed back to London with winners' medals in tow, but not everyone received theirs during the post-match celebrations.

According to UEFA regulations, the Europa League winners are awarded 50 gold medals, while the runners-up receive 50 silver ones. Of those, UEFA had prepared 30 to be handed out immediately on the pitch.

Among those to receive a medal during the presentation were injured players James Maddison, Timo Werner, and Lucas Bergvall. Will Lankshear, who spent part of the season on loan at West Bromwich Albion, was also included.

However, fans quickly noticed that three key players, captain Son Heung-min, Cristian Romero, and Rodrigo Bentancur, were not given medals on stage. UEFA later addressed the issue and explained the mix-up.

In a statement shared by BBC Sport, UEFA said: "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 missing medals were promptly delivered to the winning team in the dressing room, along with our sincerest apologies for the oversight."

It is up to each club to decide how the 50 allocated medals are distributed among players and staff.

As for the trophy itself, Spurs were able to lift the iconic silverware in front of their fans. However, UEFA retains the original trophy, and the club will instead keep a full-sized replica as a permanent reminder of their European triumph.