Parts of the Premier League trophy were stolen at an event in Belgium in November 2022, Express Sport understands. Thieves allegedly grabbed a suitcase containing the trophy’s iconic crown and its 15.9kg base from a corporate event.
As is customary with similar events, Premier League chiefs took the trophy to Brussels, Belgium, two years ago. However, the suitcase containing the crown and base was taken and has never been relocated.
The Premier League asked Asprey London, who made the trophy, to produce an identical crown and base. The Premier League has two trophies.
One of them is kept by the league and gets taken around the world to wide-ranging events, while the other is kept by the reigning champions. The league’s version often has its own seat on planes and is heavily protected by guards at events.
Having two trophies meant that on the final day of last season, one was able to be housed at favourites Manchester City, while the other was placed at the Emirates Stadium in case Arsenal pulled off an unexpected title win.
It is presumed that the thieves were not aware of what was inside. There is a belief that the parts might have been melted down in the time since.
The Premier League chose not to comment. Asprey London were contacted but did not respond by the time of publication.
It comes after the Premier League revealed the fixture list for the 2024-25 season on Tuesday. The campaign gets underway with Manchester United hosting Fulham on August 16.
The biggest game of the opening weekend sees new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca kickstart his Stamford Bridge reign by welcoming Man City to west London. Maresca previously worked as an assistant to Pep Guardiola at City before joining Leicester for the start of last season.
Last season, City won the Premier League for a record fourth consecutive campaign. Their 91 points were two more than Arsenal’s 89.
Top-flight clubs will be desperate to topple City in the upcoming season. Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are all set to improve their squads in the summer transfer window.
City boss Pep Guardiola will have two new counterparts to contend with in what could be a tricky challenge. Maresca has been appointed by Chelsea, while Guardiola’s long-term rival Jurgen Klopp has left Liverpool and been replaced by Arne Slot.
