The Tottenham afterparty was in full swing at the Hotel Carlton in Bilbao; players, management and family members just surrendering to the moment. Many of the players were still in their full match kits, medals draped around their necks and the centrepiece was the Europa League trophy, 15kg of the purest bliss.
It is heavier than you think, according to Son Heung-min. “Very heavy, very heavy,” he said. The Spurs captain had accidentally head-butted it as he hoisted it high into the sky after the 1-0 win over Manchester United, a teammate having pushed into him as he performed the move he had dreamed about ever since signing from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. The angry red cut on Son’s forehead was a part of the tapestry.
