The Women’s Champions League final this season is set to take place at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon, home of Sporting CP. According to Germany’s Sport Bild, the final nearly faced the embarrassing prospect of having no trophy to present.
Lisbon police revealed on Tuesday that the trophy was stolen on Saturday, May 17, local time.
The trophy had been on public display inside the stadium during halftime of Sporting CP’s match against Vitória de Guimarães, as part of the build-up to the major UEFA final.
Police reported: “Several masked individuals broke into the stadium by forcing open a garage door.” The theft was not reported until the following day, at which point an investigation was launched.
In addition to the Women’s Champions League trophy, the thieves also stole bags belonging to UEFA staff.
While the trophy has since been successfully recovered, other unspecified items belonging to UEFA remain missing. Police have identified 13 suspects but have not yet made any arrests.
For investigative reasons, police have not disclosed further details or the identities of the missing items. Updates are expected in the coming days, and authorities are hopeful that arrests will follow shortly