Favorite for the next Ballon d’Or, Real Madrid’s French attacker Karim Benzema was designated this Thursday as the best UEFA player of the year, in a ceremony in Istanbul as part of the Champions League group draw.
Benzema, 34, was chosen ahead of his teammate, the Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Manchester City’s fellow Belgian Kevin de Bruyne, thanks to the fact that he won the Spanish LaLiga, the Champions League and the Nations League with the national team last season from France.
Author of 44 goals in 46 games with Real Madrid, and also champion with the French team in European competition, Benzema finished an excellent campaign that has opened the doors for him to obtain the coveted Ballon d’Or, in a ceremony scheduled for 17 October in Paris.
The former Olympique de Lyon striker became the second Frenchman to achieve this distinction in the current configuration, after Frank Ribéry in 2013. Two other Real Madrid players had achieved it: the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo in 2014, 2016 and 2017 and Croatian Luka Modric in 2018.
‘KB9’ succeeds the Italian Jorginho, who won the European Championship in 2021 and the Champions League with Chelsea.
The UEFA player of the year award is decided by a jury made up of “clubs participating in the European Cups” and a “group of journalists”, including from the AFP, according to UEFA. Players are judged on their performance in “all competitions, domestic and international.”
– Putellas, awarded in feminine –
The women’s award, which was tighter, went to Putellas, holder of the Ballon d’Or. The Barça player generated surprise, since she missed the European Championship due to a knee injury shortly before the start of the tournament competition.
Champions League finalist, whose team lost to Olympique de Lyon 3-1, and champion of the Spanish league with 30 wins in 30 games, Putellas, 28, was named ahead of England’s Beth Mead, European champion with England and chosen as the best player in the competition, as well as top scorer together with the German Alexandra Popp.
The German Lena Oberdorf, 20, closed the podium of the three finalists.
The award for best coach went to the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, from Real Madrid, the architect of the ‘merengue’ club lifting the 14th Champions League in its history, while the award for best coach went to the Dutch coach of England Sarah Wiegman.
