On Saturday, June 1, Borussia Dortmund will face Real Madrid in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium in London, but if the Black and Yellow are able to do the improbable and win the trophy, there is an important question to answer — would Gio Reyna get a winners medal?
Before going on loan to Nottingham Forest, Reyna did make two appearances during the Champions League group stage for Borussia Dortmund totaling 20 minutes. According to UEFA, the winning team is presented with 40 gold medals and then the runners-up are presented with 40 silver medals. There are no restrictions to who gets those medals but no additional medals can be produced.
Historically, any player who makes an appearance receives a medal and this would point to Reyna also receiving one. He actually hasn’t played the fewest minutes of Dortmund players in Champions League as that would go to Youssoufa Moukoko whose four appearances only led to 17 minutes so far in the tournament.
If Reyna does receive a medal, he would join his United States men’s national teammate Christian Pulisic as the only Americans to have won the Champions League in recent years after Pulisic lifted the trophy with Chelsea in 2021. Jovan Kirovski, also with Dortmund, became the first American to win it during the 1996-97 season, but he did not play in the final.
While it’s a little different as Pulisic was key to Chelsea’s run, Reyna getting a medal would be a high to his season where the highlight is avoiding relegation with Nottingham Forest. Due to being on loan currently, he is slated to return to Dortmund during the summer to determine his future.
KVSP