I said to Son Heung-min, 'Now your picture needs to be up there too.'

On the 22nd (Korea time), Tottenham Hotspur won 1-0 against Manchester United in the 2024-2025 season UEFA Europa League final held at Estadio San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain.

With this victory, Tottenham successfully ended a 17-year trophy drought since the 2007-2008 season. At the same time, Son Heung-min achieved his first major trophy in his career, overcoming the disappointment of finishing as a runner-up in the UEFA Champions League in the 2018-2019 season after 6 years.

It was a crucial match for both Tottenham and Manchester United, as qualification for the Champions League was on the line. Tottenham had their first opportunity to challenge for a title in 17 years, and the final was considered to have more than $100 million in revenue at stake.

Tottenham lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson were positioned at the forefront, while Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, and Rodrigo Bentancur filled the midfield. Destiny Udoji, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Pedro Porro made up the back four, with Guglielmo Vicario guarding the goal. Son Heung-min waited on the bench.

Manchester United faced off in a 3-4-3 formation. Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund, and Amad Diallo started upfront, while Patrick Dall’Oglio, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and Noussair Mazraoui held the midfield. Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, and Lisandro Martinez formed the back three, with Andre Onana in goal.

Tottenham, looking for opportunities through aggressive pressing and quick transitions from the start of the first half, took the lead in the 41st minute with a focused shot from Brennan Johnson. A cross from the left flank deflected off a defender, and Johnson reacted quickly to find the net.

The first half concluded with Tottenham in the lead, and the second half saw a fierce counterattack from Manchester United. In the 68th minute, Tottenham goalkeeper Vicario cleared the ball, which Hojlund headed toward the goal, but defender Micky van de Ven made a crucial clearance on the goal line to prevent a goal. Following this moment, Tottenham focused more on their defense and weathered Manchester United's sustained attacks.

In the 67th minute, captain Son Heung-min was substituted in for Richarlison. He contributed to the pressing and counterattacks with his vigorous activity, and in the 81st minute, he created a shooting chance.

Tottenham, steadfast against Manchester United's attacks until the end of the match, held off without conceding a goal through 7 minutes of added time and ultimately finished the game 1-0. Tottenham secured their first UEFA Europa League title in club history and claimed their first trophy under manager Ange Postecoglou.

The significance was especially profound for manager Postecoglou. After taking the helm of Tottenham last summer, he completed his first season without a trophy but had repeatedly stated, 'In my second year, I will definitely bring home a trophy.' And indeed, that statement became a reality.

After the match, BBC reported an interview with Postecoglou, where he mentioned Son Heung-min. In an interview with TNT Sports, Postecoglou said, "We have many great players, with Harry Kane being a prime example. But he hasn't experienced moments like this."

He continued, "I hoped such a day would come for Son Heung-min, and until now, various reasons have prevented it from happening."

He revealed, "Outside the locker room at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there are photos of the winning teams. I told Son Heung-min, 'Now your picture needs to be up there too.'"

He added, "I think this is the opportunity. My belief starts here and can continually build on it. The players want to feel that feeling again. You can only describe that feeling once you experience winning it. Now that they have experienced victory, they will want to feel that feeling again."

[OSEN]