Son Heung-min wins UEFA trophy 45 years after Cha Bum-kun's victory

Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) has finally raised the winner's trophy high. It was exactly 45 years since 'legend' Cha Bum-kun (72) first lifted the UEFA Cup trophy.

Tottenham Hotspur secured the championship by defeating Manchester United 1-0 in the final of the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League (UEL) held at Estadio San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain, on the 22nd (Korea time).

With this victory, Tottenham won a trophy for the first time in 17 years since the League Cup in 2008. Winning in a European competition for the first time in 41 years since claiming the UEFA Cup title in the 1983-1984 season.

Son Heung-min also achieved his first victory, successfully breaking the pattern of not winning any trophies. He lifted a major trophy for his team 15 years after making his professional debut in Hamburg, Germany, in 2010. After 'trial and error,' he shed tears of joy in the final instead of sadness.

Tottenham has also secured a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League. Despite falling to 17th place in the Premier League and having one of their worst seasons, they turned everything around with their UEL victory. Manchester United, which finished 16th in the Premier League, had the same dream but fell short in a single-match showdown worth £100 million (approximately 186 billion won).

The 22nd, when Son Heung-min hung the winner's medal around his neck, was also a significant day for another Korean football legend, Cha Bum-kun. It was Cha Bum-kun's 72nd birthday and the anniversary of the day he achieved UEFA Cup victory in the 1979-1980 season while wearing the Eintracht Frankfurt uniform.

Cha Bum-kun won the UEL's predecessor, the UEFA Cup, twice. He also claimed the UEFA Cup while wearing Bayer Leverkusen's uniform in the 1987-1988 season. Finally, Son Heung-min ascended to the top of the UEL, becoming the fourth Korean UEL winner after Kim Dong-jin and Lee Ho (Zenit, 2007-2008 season).

Cha Bum-kun sent a congratulatory message to Son Heung-min. He wrote on social media, "Heung-min lifted the UEFA Cup. On my birthday morning.
The day I lifted that heavy cup was also the night of the 21st, which was the 22nd for us. I celebrated my birthday that night with a victory party. What a remarkable coincidence."

Cha Bum-kun added, "It's a precious gift that is hard to receive even once in a lifetime. I feel a weight in my heart because I know his efforts, and it wouldn’t be right to just heap on congratulations.
Our Heung-min, you did well. You're the best!!!!"

A congratulation from one legend to another. Former coach Cha Bum-kun began his European career in Germany, just like Son Heung-min. He made 372 appearances and scored 121 goals while playing for Darmstadt, Frankfurt, and Bayer Leverkusen. He not only won the UEFA Cup twice but also won the DFB-Pokal trophy while wearing the Frankfurt uniform in the 1980-1981 season.

Following in Cha Bum-kun's footsteps, Son Heung-min achieved the UEL victory, fitting together the final piece of his career puzzle. He has finally removed the blemish of not winning any trophies, elevating Korean football to new heights.

Son Heung-min has now referred to himself as a 'legend.' Even midway through this season, he remarked that he was not yet a legend but wanted to be called one after winning with Tottenham. After the match, when asked if he felt like a legend, he replied, "I would call myself a legend. At least for today. There have been great players over the past 17 years, but no one has achieved this. I think today is the day I can call myself a Tottenham legend."

Son Heung-min also expressed his gratitude to Korean fans. He said, "It really took a long time. I'm sorry," and added, "I'm proud to be born as a Korean. I sincerely thank the fans for playing the biggest role in completing the perfect puzzle. I will continue to do my best to bring you joy."

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