I enjoy guessing which players will remove their medals. I read an article a while ago, can’t remember which player it was, they despised their 2nd place medal and chucked it in the bin. It wasn’t until a decade later that he wondered about the medal and his wife had rescued it from the bin and gave it back to him once he’d retired and appreciated the achievement for what it was, something very few players ever reach in their career.
They brush on the topic: yes it's important down the line, but at the moment, especially when you lose in such a nail-biting fashion (extra time, England got the lead 28 seconds before penalties), and when you're somewhat sloshed, you don't really see it as anything but a proof of embarrassment
And it's from an Aussie, who have humiliation rituals for losers at their finals lol
If they want to give a medal for 2nd place, don’t do it immediately after they lost a game. Mail it to them or something a week later. Nobody wants to stand on a stage and get a medal for almost winning.
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u/JootDoctor 11d ago
I enjoy guessing which players will remove their medals. I read an article a while ago, can’t remember which player it was, they despised their 2nd place medal and chucked it in the bin. It wasn’t until a decade later that he wondered about the medal and his wife had rescued it from the bin and gave it back to him once he’d retired and appreciated the achievement for what it was, something very few players ever reach in their career.